Google's Brin and Page stick to $1 salary

by Tristan O'Carroll, Media Week 26-Mar-08, 13:15

Google co-founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page each took home their routine $1 annual salary again in 2007, according to a regulatory filing in the US.

Chief executive Eric Schmidt also took home his customary $1 salary in 2007. Schmidt received a total of $480,561 in 2007, including $478,662 in expenses incurred by Google for his personal security. His total package was down 14% from 2006, when his personal security costs were higher.

Brin and Page also received a bonus of $1,723, last year. While Brin picked up the same amount in 2006, Page's total pay was higher in 2006, due to the $37,000 Google paid him in personal travel expenses.

The filing also reveals Schmidt's stake in the company is down from 2006, from 10.7 million shares of Google stock to 9.5 million. His holding is now worth around $4.3 billion.

According to the filing, at 15 February, Brin owned 28.6 million shares of Google, while Page owned 29.1 million, broadly the same amount as they held last year.