In addition, CEO Ghosn named Mr. Dodge "chief recovery officer" amid the onset of the global financial crisis in 2009, a year when the company's world-wide sales slid 9.4%.

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And in the last couple years, many of them saw a hefty chunk of their deferred compensation practically disappear when their company stock hit rock bottom during the onset of the financial crisis.

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In truth, some at Coke HQ in Atlanta may have been relieved anyway when the deal fell through 16 months ago, as the financial crisis was raging, and the company was offering a huge premium for Huiyuan.

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