Apple Chief Got $3 Million for 8 Months

Apple Computer Inc. paid its new chairman, Gilbert Amelio, nearly $3 million in salary and bonuses for his eight months of work this fiscal year, double his last eight months’ pay at former employer National Semiconductor Corp. Amelio’s predecessor, Michael Spindler, received $939,576 in salary and bonus, plus a $3.3-million severance fee, according to Cupertino-based Apple’s annual proxy statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Amelio, who took over as chairman and CEO on Feb. 2 after Spindler resigned under pressure, earned $655,061 in salary and $2.33 million in bonuses in the fiscal year ended Sept. 30. Amelio, the former president and CEO of National Semiconductor earned $1.3 million in salary and bonus for the eight months in fiscal 1996 that he served that company. Apple shares rose 12.5 cents to close at $23.125 in Nasdaq trading.