CEO perks often include use of company jet, security

April 13, 2008 — -- Compensation consultants like to say that CEO pay is as much an art as a science. Pay packages consist of base salary, bonuses and awards of stock and options. But often, the most telling part of a CEO's compensation package is in the details of the smallest entry on the ledger: the perks and benefits.

These figures, found under the "other compensation" heading in a public company's proxy filing, can show investors a lot about what the board of directors thinks of a particular CEO.

But another metric makes the two the most valuable CEOs in the country. The details of their "other compensation" reveal that Oracle's board spent $1.7 million on security for Ellison. Dell's board spent $1.05 million on security for its CEO. Other CEOs receive hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of security services, but Ellison and Dell top the charts in this category.

Another popular perk is travel on the corporate jet. Yes, it's necessary for business, but among Standard & Poor's 500 companies,CEOs get to use the company plane for weekend getaways and vacations with the family.