London - The Nokia chief who masterminded the sale of its handset division to Microsoft stands to make almost £16m out of the deal.
Stephen Elop left Microsoft to become Nokia’s boss three years ago – receiving a £5.2m golden handshake upon joining the Finnish firm.
But now he will pocket even more returning to his old employer along with Nokia’s handset division if the £4.6bn deal is voted through by investors.
With 70 percent of his package paid for by Microsoft, Elop will scoop £3.4m in salary and bonuses as well as £12.3m in shares.
The huge payout will increase speculation he is being lined up to become Microsoft’s next chief executive, after the surprise announcement that current boss Steve Ballmer will leave in the next year.
Until last year Nokia was still the world’s number one phone-maker. But the company has struggled to maintain its market share against fleet-footed rivals.
Investors hope Nokia’s tie-up with Microsoft, which makes Windows software, will improve its fortunes. - Daily Mail