Whenever a publicly traded company hires an executive with a massive compensation package, it must file documents outlining its offer with the Securities and Exchange Commission by law. So when Electronic Arts today announced it had lured Peter Moore away from his gig as corporate vice president at Microsoft, many industry watchers began snooping around EA's SEC filing in order to root out details.
The results did not disappoint. According to an 8-K form filed with the SEC this afternoon, the 52-year-old Moore will receive "a one-time bonus of $1,500,000 (minus applicable taxes) in recognition of the future compensation value he would be foregoing [sic] by leaving his position at Microsoft." Though the bonus is technically for his first two years as president of EA Sports, he will receive it in the next 30 days. If he leaves EA before July 17, 2009, he will have to repay a prorated amount.
Moore will also receive $330,000 in moving expenses which will have to be repaid in full if he leaves EA before one year. But, given Moore's pay package, that would seem unlikely. He will receive $550,000 in base annual salary and a "target" of $412,500 in annual bonuses--meaning he could potentially earn $962,500 every year before taxes, if EA only grants him the "target" bonus. However, many companies also issue bonuses in excess of said targets, meaning Moore could irreconcilably make even more.
According to the 8-K filing, the publisher also offered Moore "a stock option to purchase 350,000 shares of the company's common stock" as well as 50,000 restricted stock shares. Some 24 percent of the first batch of the stock will vest after the first year of Moore's hire, with the remainder vesting at 2 percent per month going forward. The restricted stock will vest 50 percent after two years, with the other 50 percent vesting four years after the executive's hire date.
Moore's stock options were issued under the terms of EA's 2000 Equity Incentive Plan. The plan expressly says the exercise price of that batch of stock will be the "fair market value" of said stock when the shares were issued. EA's share price ended the day on the NASDAQ at $49.47, which would have been his strike price were he hired today. Moore's first day is on September 17, meaning that the closing price on that day will be his strike price. That means when means when Moore's options vest, the company's share price must be higher than the market-close price on September 17 for the executive to be able to sell his stock at a profit.
Cztery dni po zakończeniu E3 Media & Business Summit potwierdzono, że Peter Moore, wiceprezes oddziału interaktywnej rozrywki Microsoftu, odchodzi. Jeszcze tydzień wcześniej Moore prowadził konferencję Microsoftu podczas E3, aby teraz zostać prezesem EA Sports, oddziału Electronic Arts tworzącego gry sportowe. 52-letni Moore otrzyma "jednorazową premię 1 500 000 dolarów (minus podatki)". Jeżeli opuści przed 17 lipca 2009, będzie musiał zwrócić premię.

Moore otrzyma również 330 000 dolarów na przeprowadzkę, które będzie musiał zwrócić, jeżeli odejdzie z EA w ciągu roku. Roczna pensja, jaką otrzyma były pracownik Microsoftu wynosi 550 000 dolarów plus około 412 500 dolarów premii. Oznacza to, że rocznie będzie mógł zarobić 962 500 dolarów minus podatki, jeśli EA da mu jedynie tą premię. Wiele firm daje dodatkowe premie, więc prawdopodobnie Moore zarobi jeszcze więcej.

Dzisiaj Electronic Arts ogłosiło również, że Barry Cottle, były COO Palm Computing ds. urządzeń przenośnych i bezprzewodowych, został zatrudniony jako wiceprezes i główny menadżer oddziału EA Mobile zajmującego się grami na urządzenia przenośne.

Miejsce Moore'a zajął Don Mattrick, były prezes Electronic Arts Worldwide. W 1982 założył Distinctive Software, by w 1991 połączyć się z Electronic Arts i zmienić nazwę na EA Canada. Mattrick pracował przy tworzeniu serii ''Need for Speed''.

Również dzisiaj Microsoft oświadczył, że zatrudnił kolejnego byłego pracownika EA, Johna Schapperta, jako wiceprezesa ds. gier online na platformach Xbox Live i Windows Live.