I find no evidence whatsoever that says a company with a high paid ceo performs better than companies with lower paid ceo's and other executives. For example Irish executives in the banking system were very high paid yet it went down the ****ter due to their incompetence.
Victor Muller, the CEO of Spyker, got a bonus of €500 000 even though the company itself is bleeding.
http://www.dutchnews.nl/news/archives/2011/04/shareholders_lobby_group_quest.php
When I follow blue chip companies I see no correlation between the pay of the CEO and how profitable they are. Why do people keep on repeating the mantra that you need ridiculous salaries to get good CEO:s? Excessive pay seem to attract the worst of the worst to be honest.
I must further add that Irish politicians are among the highest paid in the world, yet Ireland is not doing that grand now is it?