SABMiller beer boss toasts £14m paypacket

THE boss of beer company SABMiller pocketed almost £14 million last year as the company’s high share price put added fizz into a long-term bonus scheme.

Graham Mackay served as chief executive and later executive chairman of SABMiller until a brain tumour forced him into temporary retirement in April.

The company’s annual report shows that in the year to the end of March he was paid £2.8m, including a cash bonus of £1.4m. The total was down from £3m the year before. Retirement benefits and long-term incentives vesting in the year amounted to a further £11.1m.

Mackay joined the then the South African Breweries in 1978 and led the group to its 1999 London flotation.