Global CIO: Dell-Perot Cashouts And The Media's 'Windfall' IdiocyGlobal CIO: Dell-Perot Cashouts And The Media's 'Windfall' Idiocy

a) They used "windfall" intentionally, knowing full well the precise definition given above. Under this scenario, then, they are saying that the founder of and primary investor in and animating spirit behind a business is not fully entitled to or worthy of the value that company has created.

b) They used "windfall" without knowing what it means, which is not exactly a strong fallback position for an outfit whose specialty is supposed to be knowing what words mean and being able to string them together effectively.

This is as sorry a piece of so-called business journalism that I've seen since another hack job three months ago in BusinessWeek when that formerly responsible magazine asked, "Do you think limits should be set for CIO pay?"

Let's have a vote on which is worse: Bloomberg's depiction of the Perot family's "windfall" or BusinessWeek's plea for government-controlled CIO pay? Let me know what you think.