Quote:

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"Our executive compensation lags well behind that of peer institutions," Elizabeth Hillman said in an email sent to the foundation's trustees on Monday, adding that "recent compensation studies have supported adjustments across the organization."
…
Last week, The Post revealed salaries at the non-profit have ballooned, even as it continues to run in the red and ignore the wishes of some families of first responders murdered on 9/11.

Hillman pocketed $856,216 in total compensation in 2024, according to IRS filings, a 63% raise in just two years.

The next four highest-paid executives made $486,298, $458,652, $444,999 and $432,958 in 2024.

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https://nypost.com/2025/08/30/us-news/ceo-of-9-11-memorial-amp-museum-defends-bloated-salaries-amid-growing-outrage/

I dunno. Is this bad? World class museums pay top dollar for executive leadership that knows what they're doing. It kind of reminds me how upset some parents get when they find out the principal at their children's school makes a six-figure salary.

Leaders are paid what they're worth, usually. I suppose you could get somebody to run the thing for free as a volunteer. But they still wouldn't be happy with the results.

techno-ag said:

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Leaders are paid what they're worth, usually.

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i think they are overpaid since the museum is losing money

Seems like a situation where you could cut all of those salaries in half (or more) and find someone to do the job well.

Lance Uppercut said:

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Seems like a situation where you could cut all of those salaries in half (or more) and find someone to do the job well.

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Maybe. But don't forget salaries and cost of living are different in New York.

Quote:

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Leaders are paid what they're worth, usually. I suppose you could get somebody to run the thing for free as a volunteer. But they still wouldn't be happy with the results.

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I would agree if it were a for profit company. Non-profits that are operating in the red paying those salaries stick out.

I'll readily admit I don't have a dog in this hunt since I don't give any money to them.

techno-ag said:

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Lance Uppercut said:

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Seems like a situation where you could cut all of those salaries in half (or more) and find someone to do the job well.

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Maybe. But don't forget salaries and cost of living are different in New York.

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That salary is equivalent to making 358k a year in Dallas, or 511k if they moved over a borough and commuted.

Edit: I could be wrong. Apparently museum directors make a lot of money.

Any and every taxpayer operation at all levels should be suspect and for sure be audited to the hilt, with full transparency. Everyone should know if Democrats are involved there is likely malfeasance somewhere.

There is no reason in the world we shouldn't expect something shady going on, due all of the recent discoveries. Dems, don't get mad it's your fault for being corrupt, truth.

With more information, besides the sales job by the employees the correct decision could be made by neutral parties.

It's a museum. Those salaries are obscene.

Lance Uppercut said:

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techno-ag said:

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Lance Uppercut said:

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Seems like a situation where you could cut all of those salaries in half (or more) and find someone to do the job well.

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Maybe. But don't forget salaries and cost of living are different in New York.

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That salary is equivalent to making 358k a year in Dallas, or 511k if they moved over a borough and commuted.

Edit: I could be wrong. Apparently museum directors make a lot of money.

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Would not surprise me if these roles were all remote or part time remote.

Just get on zoom calls with the other half million salary folk and talk about their need to increase compensation and highlight equity regarding folks of color who were killed and how whitey disrespected the Muslims and something happened.

Someone figured out they had a friendly board they could push over. These salaries run rampant at non profits, not for profits, trade orgs, community development corps. No accountability combined with no fiscal intelligence.

techno-ag said:

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Lance Uppercut said:

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Seems like a situation where you could cut all of those salaries in half (or more) and find someone to do the job well.

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Maybe. But don't forget salaries and cost of living are different in New York.

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That's still excessive for running a freaking museum!

Hank the Grifter said:

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It's a museum. Those salaries are obscene.

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Unpopular opinion here, but I disagree. A world class museum needs people who know what they're doing to run it, not a bunch of amateurs making beer money.

MemphisAg1 said:

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techno-ag said:

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Lance Uppercut said:

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Seems like a situation where you could cut all of those salaries in half (or more) and find someone to do the job well.

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Maybe. But don't forget salaries and cost of living are different in New York.

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That's still excessive for running a freaking museum!

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Salary studies show they're actually on the low end of compensation.

techno-ag said:

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Hank the Grifter said:

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It's a museum. Those salaries are obscene.

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Unpopular opinion here, but I disagree. A world class museum needs people who know what they're doing to run it, not a bunch of amateurs making beer money.

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And you can find people to run a museum very well at half that compensation.

Old Army Ghost said:

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techno-ag said:

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Leaders are paid what they're worth, usually.

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i think they are overpaid since the museum is losing money

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Should the museum be making money at all? I'm ok with them living on donations and not pursuing profit.

Lance Uppercut said:

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Seems like a situation where you could cut all of those salaries in half (or more) and find someone to do the job well.

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This is NYC.

techno-ag said:

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MemphisAg1 said:

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techno-ag said:

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Lance Uppercut said:

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Seems like a situation where you could cut all of those salaries in half (or more) and find someone to do the job well.

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Maybe. But don't forget salaries and cost of living are different in New York.

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That's still excessive for running a freaking museum!

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Salary studies show they're actually on the low end of compensation.

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<Air quotes> Studies </Air quotes>

There isn't a single person working at a museum in the entire world worth more than about $75k

Heineken-Ashi said:

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There isn't a single person working at a museum in the entire world worth more than about $75k

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What if they're married?

From an earlier story in the Post:

Quote:

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Of its $93 million revenue, the high-profile foundation took in only $10.3 million in private donations. Most of the cash, $69 million, came from the sale of tickets, tours, memberships and souvenirs.

The bulk of the nonprofit's $4.5 million in government funding came from the National Park Service, plus $500,000 from New York State taxpayers, and between $110,000 and $350,000 from New York City.

While salaries and budget deficits grow, ticket prices skyrocketed 50% from the $24 adult museum-entry fee in 2015 to $36 today. There's no cost to visit the famed outdoor memorial.

The organization's $112 million in expenses for 2024 included a $34 million payroll, $13 million for janitor services, and $10 million for private security. It paid another $7 million in rent to the Port Authority, which owns the World Trade Center site, including the land beneath the museum and memorial.

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https://nypost.com/2025/08/23/us-news/exec-salaries-skyrocket-while-cash-strapped-9-11-museum-continues-to-bleed-red-slap-in-the-face/

techno-ag said:

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Old Army Ghost said:

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techno-ag said:

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Leaders are paid what they're worth, usually.

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i think they are overpaid since the museum is losing money

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Should the museum be making money at all? I'm ok with them living on donations and not pursuing profit.

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spending more than you get in donations and taxpayer money is bad leadership

Old Army Ghost said:

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techno-ag said:

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Old Army Ghost said:

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techno-ag said:

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Leaders are paid what they're worth, usually.

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i think they are overpaid since the museum is losing money

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Should the museum be making money at all? I'm ok with them living on donations and not pursuing profit.

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spending more than you get in donations and taxpayer money is bad leadership

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See above. I found the basics of their budget.

techno-ag said:

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Lance Uppercut said:

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Seems like a situation where you could cut all of those salaries in half (or more) and find someone to do the job well.

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Maybe. But don't forget salaries and cost of living are different in New York.

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Live in Jersey for half as much and take the train to work

Am I the only one who doesn't see a scandal here?

Ducks4brkfast said:

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Am I the only one who doesn't see a scandal here?

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Minority opinion.

Not sure if it's a scandal, but it's a poor look and would appear the board is either in on it, incompetent or both.

That's a c suite level salaries for a medium size business.

It's excessive, but I agree it's not a scandal or theft. Just dumbarsery.

flown-the-coop said:

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Not sure if it's a scandal, but it's a poor look and would appear the board is either in on it, incompetent or both.

That's a c suite level salaries for a medium size business.

It's excessive, but I agree it's not a scandal or theft. Just dumbarsery.

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Nah it's just a HCOL area. Look at the $23 million/year they have to pay for janitorial and security. You know that's New York unions right there.

flown-the-coop said:

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Not sure if it's a scandal, but it's a poor look and would appear the board is either in on it, incompetent or both.

That's a c suite level salaries for a medium size business.

It's excessive, but I agree it's not a scandal or theft. Just dumbarsery.

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May too much money to pay someone to manage a museum that doesn't even change exhibits. No visiting exhibits, nothing. And the museum isn't even very large. Or complex.

I may be way off base here, but I think the real expertise was needed during the initial planning and build-out phase. Making sure the right artifacts were appropriately displayed, setting the tone for decades to come. Now that it's up and running, the main responsibilities of leadership shifts to upkeep and making sure that ticket sales and foot traffic stays up, while maintaining the integrity of the space. I visited the museum for the first time back in March and it was incredibly powerful and I would hope that nothing major changes with it for a long time.

So yes, good question... why are the salaries so high?

akaggie05 said:

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I may be way off base here, but I think the real expertise was needed during the initial planning and build-out phase. Making sure the right artifacts were appropriately displayed, setting the tone for decades to come. Now that it's up and running, the main responsibilities of leadership shifts to upkeep and making sure that ticket sales and foot traffic stays up, while maintaining the integrity of the space. I visited the museum for the first time back in March and it was incredibly powerful and I would hope that nothing major changes with it for a long time.

So yes, good question... why are the salaries so high?

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I think a lot of salaries shot up after Covid. It's just these are public so we can talk about it.

I could see this kind of salary "shooting up" from $200K to $350K. But nearly 1M?

Ducks4brkfast said:

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Am I the only one who doesn't see a scandal here?

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Look into the board members families.

Probably no show jobs given out as political favors...

akaggie05 said:

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I could see this kind of salary "shooting up" from $200K to $350K. But nearly 1M?

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Thats about the same percentage as 500k to 750k.

akaggie05 said:

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I may be way off base here, but I think the real expertise was needed during the initial planning and build-out phase. Making sure the right artifacts were appropriately displayed, setting the tone for decades to come. Now that it's up and running, the main responsibilities of leadership shifts to upkeep and making sure that ticket sales and foot traffic stays up, while maintaining the integrity of the space. I visited the museum for the first time back in March and it was incredibly powerful and I would hope that nothing major changes with it for a long time.

So yes, good question... why are the salaries so high?

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Agree.

World class museum? Who is setting this as the appropriate bar?

It's not like they are carting in renaissance paintings, insuring egyptian artifacts, doing scientific/archleological research on primitive artifacts or jurassic fossils. etc.

How much expertise is needed here compared to the Smithsonian, the Louvre...?

Sorry, I just don't see a comparable need for expertise, facilitation, or presentation. Nor fro changing the displays except very infrequently.

Particularly if it is operating in the red.

techno-ag said:

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flown-the-coop said:

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Not sure if it's a scandal, but it's a poor look and would appear the board is either in on it, incompetent or both.

That's a c suite level salaries for a medium size business.

It's excessive, but I agree it's not a scandal or theft. Just dumbarsery.

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Nah it's just a HCOL area. Look at the $23 million/year they have to pay for janitorial and security. You know that's New York unions right there.

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3 Mexicans from Home Depot and a 5 gallon of Fabuloso.....done

techno-ag said:

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From an earlier story in the Post:

Quote:

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Of its $93 million revenue, the high-profile foundation took in only $10.3 million in private donations. Most of the cash, $69 million, came from the sale of tickets, tours, memberships and souvenirs.

The bulk of the nonprofit's $4.5 million in government funding came from the National Park Service, plus $500,000 from New York State taxpayers, and between $110,000 and $350,000 from New York City.

While salaries and budget deficits grow, ticket prices skyrocketed 50% from the $24 adult museum-entry fee in 2015 to $36 today. There's no cost to visit the famed outdoor memorial.

The organization's $112 million in expenses for 2024 included a $34 million payroll, $13 million for janitor services, and $10 million for private security. It paid another $7 million in rent to the Port Authority, which owns the World Trade Center site, including the land beneath the museum and memorial.

---

https://nypost.com/2025/08/23/us-news/exec-salaries-skyrocket-while-cash-strapped-9-11-museum-continues-to-bleed-red-slap-in-the-face/

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112 million in expenses and 93 million revenues does seem like it would have some high salaries for the executive leadership.