Carl Icahn blasts Illumina for almost doubling CEO’s pay regardless of steep drop in market worth

Carl Icahn blasted Illumina for almost doubling its CEO’s pay final 12 months regardless of a dramatic drop within the biotech firm’s market worth since closing a controversial deal. 

“I might discover it comical, if it wasn’t so reprehensible that ILMN’s share value is down 63% on account of CEO Francis deSouza making such an absurd and questionable buy,” Icahn mentioned in a press release to CNBC.

“And what’s actually humorous is the concept it’s arduous to search out good CEOs on this space,” the activist investor added. “I suppose it might be arduous to search out somebody who might lose $50 billion of shareholder worth in a matter of months but nonetheless receives a commission 87% extra for a grand complete of $26.eight million in 2022.”

Illumina didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.

DeSouza stepped in as CEO in 2016 after serving because the DNA sequencing firm’s president for nearly three years. He was awarded almost $26.eight million in complete pay final 12 months, almost double the $14.three million he acquired in 2021, in keeping with a preliminary proxy assertion Illumina filed Thursday. 

A part of deSouza’s pay bump is a particular grant of inventory choices value $12.5 million, which Illumina referred to as a “significant retention incentive in a extremely aggressive expertise setting.” 

DeSouza’s pay enhance follows a rocky 18 months for San Diego-based Illumina. The corporate’s market worth has fallen to roughly $35 billion from about $75 billion in August 2021, the month it closed its acquisition of most cancers take a look at developer Grail. 

The $7.1 billion Grail deal is the main focus of a proxy struggle between Icahn and Illumina, who’ve been buying and selling jabs for almost a month. 

Icahn, who owns a 1.4% stake in Illumina, is in search of seats on the corporate’s board. He’s additionally attempting to push Illumina to unwind the Grail acquisition, which he has referred to as “disastrous” and “a brand new low in company governance.” 

He has repeatedly slammed Illumina’s board and administration crew, saying earlier this week that the corporate ought to convey again former CEO Jay Flatley to “repair the scenario.” 

Illumina on Thursday urged shareholders to reject Icahn’s three nominees to its board of administrators and continued to defend its administration crew’s choice to amass Grail. 

The corporate additionally claimed Icahn had extra favorable issues to say about its present CEO earlier than launching the proxy struggle. 

Icahn instructed Illumina final month that he meant to make board nominations regardless of believing deSouza “had executed a great job” managing the corporate, Illumina mentioned. 

The activist investor additionally mentioned he was “supportive” of deSouza’s actions as CEO throughout one other assembly earlier this month, however famous he wouldn’t repeat these feedback publicly, in keeping with Illumina. 

A part of Icahn’s opposition to the Grail acquisition stems from Illumina’s choice to shut the deal with out approval from antitrust regulators. The corporate prevailed over the U.S. Federal Commerce Fee’s opposition to the deal in September, however remains to be preventing for approval from European regulators. 

The EU’s government physique, the European Fee, final 12 months blocked Illumina’s acquisition of Grail over issues it might stifle innovation and harm shopper selection. The fee additionally unveiled particulars of a deliberate order that may pressure Illumina to unwind the deal.

Illumina mentioned earlier this month that Grail has “super long-term worth creation potential.” 

Grail says it presents the one commercially accessible early screening take a look at that may detect greater than 50 sorts of cancers by way of a single blood draw. The take a look at generated $55 million in income in 2022 and is slated to rake in as much as $110 million this 12 months, in keeping with Illumina.