--- title: "Company Lays Off 8,000 While Paying Matthew McConaughey $10 Million a Year" description: "Salesforce, the firm co-helmed by the definitely not Hawaiian Marc Benioff, is the latest in a slew of tech giants to lay off thousands of employees." date: "2023-03-02" modified: "2023-03-05" authors: - name: "Maggie Harrison Dupré" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/mharrison" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/company-paying-matthew-mcconaughey-10-million-to-sit-around" categories: - "Future Society" tags: - "layoffs" - "silicon valley" - "tech industry" - "the digest" --- # Company Lays Off 8,000 While Paying Matthew McConaughey $10 Million a Year ![Salesforce, the firm co-helmed by the definitely not Hawaiian Marc Benioff, is the latest in a slew of tech giants to lay off thousands of employees.]() *\Image: Brendan Smialowski via Getty / Futurism\* ## Alright Alright Alright Salesforce, the cloud-based "customer relationship management" software colossus co-helmed by the [definitely-not-Hawaiian Marc Benioff](), is the latest in a slew of tech giants to lay off thousands of employees, [*The Wall Street Journal* reports](). Per the *WSJ*, the company will be letting go of 8,000 members from its massive workforce, formerly referred to by Benioff — who, again, is definitely not Hawaiian — as the "Salesforce ohana," ohana being the Hawaiian name for "family." (Salesforce stepped away from using that and other [Hawaiian terminology and practices]() back in 2019 due to [cultural appropriation concerns]().) "It's an unfortunate part that you have to say goodbye to folks who, in many cases, are your friends and you have relationships with," Benioff, an original co-founder of the firm, told the *WSJ*. "But, ultimately, the success of the business has to be paramount." A fair point, at least on the surface. Present-day Silicon Valley, which had previously enjoyed a decade of relatively non-stop growth and endless employee perks, is now attempting to grapple with post-pandemic slowdowns as well as a rapidly changing industry landscape. But Benioff's woes are a bit... different. At Salesforce, massive amounts of company resources seem to be going to exceedingly peculiar places, including — but *certainly* not limited to — actor Matthew McConaughey's pockets. According to the *WSJ*, the Hollywood star was being paid *$10 million per year* to be a "creative adviser and TV pitchman" for the firm. A sane financial decision to make for a $160 billion dollar company, we're sure. ## Boom Boom Pow It's been no secret that McConaughey has close ties to the firm — he's spoken at Salesforce events, attended company meetings (accompanied at times by Black Eyed Pea William "will.i.am" Adams), and has even appeared in the outfit's Super Bowl commercials. But having celebrity ambassadors is one thing; as a company insider [told *The Financial Times*]() back in January, Benioff "frequently involved" his celebrity pals in "strategy discussions," even granting them a seat at "high-level corporate discussions." And while we're sure McConaughey is a smart enough guy, if mass layoffs were in order, we simply can't fathom that his brainstorming sessions were worth $10 million annually. Paying McConaughey millions to hang out isn't the only Salesforce issue. The still-not-Hawaiian Benioff is well-known for lavishing his employees with wild perks, which included hosting wildly expensive celebrity-headlined conferences and opulent wellness retreats. In any case, our thoughts are with the laid-off Salesforcers. Things will one day be alright, alright, alright. **READ MORE:** [*At Marc Benioff'S Salesforce, It's One Big Family—Until Trouble Hits*]() \[*The Wall Street Journal*\] **More on tech layoffs:** [*Big Tech Announced More than 45,000 Layoffs in Recent Months*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've reported extensively on the rise of AI as a cultural and business force shaping the media industry, and more broadly how those dynamics are changing how we all consume and share information and relate to one another. I'm also fascinated by public health policy and ethics, the role of emerging tech in politics and governance — and the powerful people and forces at those intersections — climate change, and the environment. My investigation on Sports Illustrated's use of AI-generated authors with fictional biographies won a 2024 Mirror Award for "Best Story on Media Coverage of Artificial Intelligence in Journalism and the Media" from Syracuse University's SI Newhouse School, I contributed to Niemen Lab's 2025 Predictions for Journalism series, and I've discussed my work for Futurism during appearances on NPR, CNN, the BBC, the CBC, and more. I grew up in rural Pennsylvania and attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where I played Division I field hockey for the Minutewomen as a midfielder. Since then, I've lived in New Orleans, Louisiana and Manhattan, New York. I spend my free time running, reading, perusing archival fashion, and searching for the world’s best negroni. I also have a debonair tuxedo cat, Westley, who's named after "The Princess Bride." ### Author social links [Bluesky]()