Google's bonus bonanza

Forget the $460 per share stock price. Google's executive officers can expect to reap a whopping $4.5 million bonus if they hit certain milestones for fiscal year 2007, according to Google's recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

The Internet giant's board of directors approved an Executive Bonus Plan, which calls for all executive officers - except Eric Schmidt, CEO, and founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin – to receive a maximum bonus of $4.5 million each, should they meet the plan's milestones. The plan is based on a formula linked to Google's non-GAAP operating income.

For Google executives, a $4.6 million bonus would be like receiving 10,000 shares of Google stock. Which would you chose?