Citi Seeks Approval To Pay Out Bonuses

知情人士透露，即将有三分之一股权落入美国政府之手的花旗集团(Citigroup Inc.)正与美国财政部商洽，要求批准其向诸多重要员工支付特别奖金。受制于美国政府的限薪令，花旗享有盛誉的能源交易子公司Phibro有可能分崩离析。由于美国政府救助花旗时附加的限薪条件，这一部门的员工正威胁要另谋高就。Phibro一直是花旗的重要利润来源，向员工发放巨额薪酬是其一贯的做法，该机构负责人霍尔(Andrew Hall)去年就获得了约1亿美元奖金。知情人士称，花旗集团正在想办法令Phibro免受联邦政府限薪令的约束，不排除将这家子公司分拆出去。 与此同时，花旗集团正努力申请政府批准向公司其他部门的诸多员工发放特别奖金。花旗集团首席执行长潘伟迪(Vikram Pandit)本月早些时候会见美国财政部长盖特纳(Timothy Geithner)时曾表示，应允许花旗以股票形式向员工发放奖金。据知情人士说，花旗管理人士表示，公司需要发放奖金来留住那些士气受挫的员工，担心他们会被竞争对手挖走。一位知情人士称，美国财政部尚未决定是否允许花旗发放奖金。目前也不清楚若花旗获得批准，将发放多少奖金。花旗集团一位发言人拒绝就拟议中奖金计划的细节发表评论。花旗集团管理人士称，他们担心旗下员工会投奔那些不受联邦限薪令约束的美国和外国金融机构；由于花旗股价暴跌，这些员工过去获得的奖金已经严重缩水。随着高盛(Goldman Sachs)等状况较好的竞争对手纷纷提出要偿还政府救助资金，花旗的这种忧虑进一步升温。这些人士说，花旗正在想办法让Phibro免受联邦限薪令约束，以便这个获利丰厚的部门能够留住人才。他们说，花旗正在讨论相关计划，或者将Phibro分拆为一家独立的对冲基金，或者将其对外部投资者开放。Phibro目前只用花旗的自有资金投资。 在花旗的投资银行业务中，Phibro一直是一个基本不显山露水的利润中心。2008年花旗的大宗商品交易业务实现税前收入6.67亿美元，这主要得益于Phibro的贡献。据知情人士称，包括潘伟迪和花旗投资银行业务主管黑文斯(John Havens)在内的花旗高管一直在向手下经理们吹风说，公司有可能向他们发放一次性奖金。这些知情人士透露，花旗尚未敲定具体的奖金计划，目前有数份可能方案正在讨论。David Enrich / Ann Davis相关阅读三井住友金融集团将收购花旗在日业务 2009-04-29Fed要求花旗集团和美国银行增资 2009-04-28花旗集团第一财季扭亏为盈  18个月来首次 2009-04-18原声视频：怎样不用高薪也能留住雇员 2009-04-17高盛利润增长 薪资水涨船高 2009-04-14 本文涉及股票或公司document.write (truthmeter('2009年04月29日11:41', 'C'));花旗集团英文名称：Citigroup Inc.总部地点：美国上市地点：纽约证交所股票代码：C


Citigroup Inc., soon to be one-third owned by the U.S. government, is asking the Treasury for permission to pay special bonuses to many key employees, according to people familiar with the matter. The request comes as Citigroup is grappling with broad government pay restrictions that could break apart its legendary energy-trading unit. People at that unit, Phibro, are threatening to leave because of pay caps tied to the U.S. bailout of Citigroup. Phibro has been the source of hundreds of millions of dollars in profits for the bank, and has paid out hefty compensation to its employees, including a roughly $100 million windfall last year for the unit's leader, Andrew Hall. Citigroup is looking for ways to free Phibro from the federal restrictions, including a spinoff of the unit, according to people familiar with the matter. Meanwhile, Citigroup is trying to get U.S. approval for special bonuses for many employees in the rest of the company. In a meeting earlier this month with Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, Citigroup Chief Executive Vikram Pandit made the case for the stock-based bonuses. Executives are describing the bonuses as 'retention' awards designed to perk up demoralized employees who the company worries are vulnerable to poaching by rival firms, people familiar with the matter said. A person familiar with Mr. Geithner's thinking said the Treasury hadn't made a decision on whether to allow the bonuses. It is unclear how much Citigroup would pay out in bonuses if the government approved the move. A Citigroup spokesman declined to comment on details of the proposed compensation plans. Citigroup executives say they are worried that employees, who have seen much of their past bonuses wiped out by the collapse of Citigroup's share price, will jump to U.S. and foreign financial institutions that aren't tethered by federal pay restrictions. Those fears have intensified as healthier rivals such as Goldman Sachs Group Inc. rush to pay back their taxpayer investments. Citigroup is looking for ways to free Phibro from federal pay constraints so it can hold on to the staff of the lucrative unit, the people said. The bank is discussing plans to either spin off Phibro into an independent hedge fund or open it to outside investors, the people said. The unit currently only invests Citigroup's capital. Phibro has been a lean and largely hidden profit center within Citigroup's investment bank. For 2008, Citigroup reported $667 million in pretax revenues in commodities trading, saying Phibro was the primary contributor to that figure. Top Citigroup executives, including Mr. Pandit and John Havens, who runs Citigroup's giant investment-banking division, have been briefing managers on the possible one-time bonuses, according to people familiar with the matter. Citigroup hasn't settled on a specific bonus plan, with several possibilities currently on the table, the people said.  David Enrich / Ann Davis