Dutchman Bart Becht, CEO of the detergent and cleaning product maker Reckitt Benckiser, was the best- earning person in British business last year, according to various media reports this week.

According to Reckitt’s annual report, quoted in the Guardian, Becht made £74m from exercising share options he had been granted as long ago as 2001 and a further £13m from cashing in free performance-related shares he had received in 1999 and 2005.
His basic salary including bonsus and pension contributions was £4.9m.
The Financial Times describes Becht as a ´good bloke´ and points out he recently gave ´more to charity, in shares, than he pocketed´.
Reckitt Benckiser was formed in 1999 following the merger of Britain´s Reckitt and Dutch firm Benckiser. The company produces cleaners such as Cillit Bang and Finish.