MarketWatch: GE has been an investor disaster under Jeff Immelt

GE has been an investor disaster under Jeff Immelt
Commentary: CEO spends $200,000 on jets, $36,000 for car lease last year

When things go well, the top dogs of major companies rack up hundreds of millions of dollars, even billions, on their stock allotments and options.

It's always justified on the grounds that they've created lots of shareholder value. But what happens when things go badly?
For one example, take a look at General Electric Co., one of America's biggest and most important companies. It just revealed its latest annual glimpse inside the executive swag bag.

By any measure of shareholder value, GE has been a disaster under Jeffrey Immelt. Investors haven't made a nickel since he took the helm as chairman nine years ago. In fact, they've lost tens of billions of dollars.
The stock, which was $40 and change when Immelt took over, has collapsed to around $16. Even if you include dividends, investors are still down about 40%. In real post-inflation terms, stockholders have lost about half their money.

MarketWatch