Why this is important: Many tech industry workers have been out of a job recently, the result of over-hiring during lockdowns and a global economic downturn. Being unemployed is a bitter pill, and it’s even more depressing to find out that your former company is paying a Hollywood actress millions of dollars a year to act as a creative consultant.
According to The Wall Street Journal, citing people familiar with the matter, Salesforce, which in January said it would need to lay off 8,000 workers, is paying Interstellar star Matthew McConaughey $10 million a year for his role as “creative advisor and TV pitchman.” The report did not mention when the contract began.
Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff announced last month that the company has joined several other tech companies in laying off staff. The co-founder said, “It’s a bad part that you have to say goodbye to people who, in many cases, are your friends and you have relationships. But, in the end, the success of the business should be the most important.”
McConaughey famously appeared in a Salesforce ad that aired during last year’s Super Bowl that targeted companies that see space and the metaverse as humanity’s next frontiers. McConaughey was paid $5 million for the ad, something Benioff says is small change compared to a payroll of more than 70,000 employees — even though there are 8,000 fewer workers to pay these days. day.
McConaughey isn’t the only celebrity paid by Salesforce. Musician and producer Will.i.am, who has been involved in the tech industry for years — despite his many failed products — is often involved with McConaughey in business strategy meetings at Salesforce, which shocked the other attendees. According to a person familiar with the company’s senior management, however, these were casual discussions.
The Financial Times wrote that their presence was explained by Will.i.am’s strong understanding of technology and McConaughey’s role in Salesforce advertising.
Benioff is no stranger to controversy. During an all-hands meeting to discuss the company’s mass layoffs last month, he admitted that the staff does not have the same level of productivity and performance as in 2020, before the pandemic. He pointed the finger of blame at remote workers, new hires made during the height of Covid-19, and young employees.
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