Daniel Vasella had ripped up an agreement worth 72 million Swiss francs, 60 million euros, to leave the pharmaceutical multinational and commit not to work for the competition. Attacks from all sides convinced him to give up the maxi-cheque
by FRANCO ZANTONELLI
LUGANO – After four days of passion Daniel Vasella gives up, giving up the liquidation of the scandal. 72 million francs, about 60 million euros, which the pharmaceutical multinational Novartis, whose leadership he had just left, had guaranteed him, divided over 6 years, so that he would undertake not to work for the competition. "I renounce the competition clause, therefore the severance pay", announced this morning, shortly after 8, the 59-year-old Vasella, certainly bent by the attacks, which rained down on him from all sides, after last Friday, the site Inside Paradeplatz, had given news of the agreement between the top manager and his former employer.
A story that has inflamed Switzerland while it is looming, now imminent given that a referendum is scheduled for Sunday 3 March which wants to put a stop to the high salaries of managers. To whose supporters, it is not known how unknowingly, with his sumptuous liquidation, Vasella had certainly given a hand. "The right is hurt by Vasella's 72 million", wrote the newspaper eloquently Le Matins, testifying to how even the economic circles, after the news of the severance pay, had given up on the former Novartis number one. Moreover, an executive so far appreciated, given that the pharmaceutical giant, under his leadership, has strung together profit after profit.
In 2012, for example, the net profit, announced about a month ago, was 9.6 billion dollars, an increase of 4 percent compared to 2011. Nevertheless, it was precisely the shareholders, who certainly with Vasella of money they have almost always earned, to become more enraged, once they learned of those "72 million too much", as he defined them The Temps, a newspaper close to the world of entrepreneurship. The fact is that the Novartis shareholders' meeting is scheduled for next Friday in Basel, which risked being dominated by the Vasella question. Even with legal aftermath, considering that a Zurich lawyer, Hans-Hacob Heitz, representing small shareholders, had already taken care to file a criminal complaint against the multinational, its board of directors, as well as against the Vasella himself.
"A complaint for unfaithful administration", explained the lawyer. Heitz also requested that the liquidation of Vasella venis
