Even as industry profits and portfolios tumble, mutual fund directors got rather sizeable pay raises in 2002, according to a Reuters report on a survey by
Directors at some firms were paid significantly more, notably at
Warren Buffett, the famous investor and
Despite the criticism they confront, directors may deserve the big money more today than they did in the past, according to some industry observers.
"Today, theres a lot more responsibility resting on their shoulders than there has been historically, especially with a lot of regulations coming down the pike in the last 18 months," said George Martinez, co-founder of
However, these pay raises are not necessarily the rule across the board, as a few of the biggest fund companies, including
Fidelity directors still earned a lot by industry standards, however, pulling in an average $262,450 last year. That is down slightly from an average $266,050 in the previous year, according to regulatory documents.
Janus directors made between $94,000 and $184,000 last year, less than they earned in 2001, when they each pulled in $185,000, filings showed.