The 8% paycut, and 25% ownership to the employees kept the doors open with the getting 4% back after 4 years. Fair deal IMO.
Even if the executives made money who cares you have to get talent in the right spots. Cant get top talent for low ball wages. And as an ex AOL employee of 10 years I can tell ya what crappy execs can do to a company. Once Steve Case left the AOL ship sank fast under Time Warner.