Affolter to give controversial bonus to charity
Daniel Affolter, the chairman of the Swiss travel group, Kuoni, has hit back at critics of his SFr8 million bonus by announcing that he will give the money to charity.
In an interview with the SonntagsZeitung newspaper, Affotler said he would be donating his bonus to the charity SOS Children’s Villages, which cares for orphans.
“I have been in contact with SOS Children’s Villages for several months and I have announced a major donation,” he revealed.
News of Affolter’s charitable act added a fresh twist to the war of words which has been developing over the future of Kuoni.
On Thursday, the group’s chief executive, Hans Lerch, and five board members called for Affolter’s resignation and that of the founder and president of the Kuoni and Hugentobler foundation, Alfred Kuoni.
They accused the pair of arranging for the foundation to pay out some SFr12 million to the board’s trustees. Of this, Affolter is said to have pocketed just over SFr8 million.
However Affolter dismissed the allegations, telling the SonntagsZeitung that his resignation was “not on the agenda”.
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