The Goldman Sachs Stock Bonus "Five Year Hold" Scam

Goldman Sachs will only pay out bonuses to their top 30 employees in stock that can't be sold for 5 years announces their press release. It's really a PR scam and nothing more. These execs already own so much stock and stock options that they have plenty to sell over the next five years before they even need to sell from a new load of stock. 

Basically, these guys are driving around with a full tank of gas and saying, "I won't put anymore gas in the tank, right now. I'll just put it on the side. " 

Consider (According to Reuters data and data from Yahoo finance. And I  caution their current positions may vary somewhat because of stock options they have exercised, or stock they have sold, since the reports)

CEO Lloyd Blankfein has 409,207 in exercisable stock options worth $47,534,896.00. He has another 428,100 in not yet unexercisable stock options worth $ 15,680,526.00. This is in addition to over a 1,500,000 shares he owns, which is worth roughly $250 million.

President Gary Cohn has 369,215 in exercisable stock options worth $ 42,914,900.00. He has another 459,044 still unexercisable options worth $18,118,200.00. This in addition to over 500,000 shares he owns, which is worth roughly $83 million. 

CFO David Viniar has 217,949 in exercisable options worth $25,206,900.0. He has another 288,496 of not yet exercisable options worth $9,736,030.00. This in addition to over 900,000 shares he owns, which is worth roughly $150 million.

I could list other employees, but you get the picture. It is going to take a long time, oh say maybe even five years, before they need to refill their accounts with stock to sell. They are literally stuffed with stocks and options. Putting a five-year hold on these guys selling new stock, when they literally control hundreds of millions of dollars in stock that they can already sell has to be considered nothing but a PR scam.