Yahoo Finance·2026-02-27 10:30Core Insights - Recent CEO succession races have resulted in substantial compensation packages for executives who were not selected, indicating a trend in retaining top talent [2][3]. Group 1: CEO Succession and Compensation - Disney awarded Dana Walden a one-time stock grant of $5.26 million and an annual target compensation of approximately $27 million after selecting Josh D'Amaro as CEO [2]. - Morgan Stanley provided special bonuses valued at $20 million each to Ted Pick and his rivals Andy Saperstein and Dan Simkowitz following the CEO appointment [2]. Group 2: Retention Strategies - High compensation packages reflect the importance of retaining high-performing executives who possess significant institutional knowledge and relationships [3]. - A report from FW Cook indicates that retention grants have a strong but limited effect, typically lasting around two to three years due to vesting schedules [4]. Group 3: CEO Turnover Trends - FW Cook's report analyzed 100 large-cap U.S. companies, finding that 47 changed CEOs between 2016 and 2020, with retention grants given to 39 executives who did not become CEO [5]. - Companies were more likely to offer retention grants when hiring external CEOs, suggesting heightened concern over executive turnover with outsiders compared to internal promotions [5].