- 23 - officers of GIC, and that the Gilman businesses (not the estate) paid Davis those amounts. The estate contends (and Bergreen and Moody testified) that Davis was rehired to help to sell the Gilman businesses. We disagree. First, Isabella Rossellini (Rossellini), an independent director of the foundation, testified, and the Pearl Meyer report states, that Davis was hired to run the businesses. The Pearl Meyer report states in pertinent part: “Since June 1998, Mr. Davis has devoted his full professional energies and time to Gilman business matters.” A document that Bergreen prepared to justify his compensation to the foundation’s compensation committee states that he hired Davis to fix the companies. Neither the Pearl Meyer report nor Bergreen’s document indicates that Davis was hired to help sell the Gilman businesses. We conclude that Davis performed services for the Gilman businesses and not for the estate. Thus, it was not necessary for the estate to borrow funds to compensate him. 3. Miscellaneous Expenses of $816,175 The estate contends that the executors reasonably estimated the amount it needed to borrow to close the estate, and that, after calculating the tax savings resulting from deduction of the interest on the $38 million loan, the estate estimated that its tax savings would be enough to fund Bergreen’s and Davis’s compensation, leaving $816,175 to pay other miscellaneousPage: Previous 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 Next
Last modified: May 25, 2011