One aspect of this that the GP noted but has not been addressed, is the following. If you are an executive of the company you very likely have stock options wh

One aspect of this that the GP noted but has not been addressed, is the following. If you are an executive of the company you very likely have stock options which allow you to buy stock at a preferred (already set) price. Then you support a stock buyback, which inflates the price of the stock, making your options even more attractive. When you exercise the options, you purchase stock directly from the company and the difference essentially comes from the existing stockholders. I wouldn't necessarily refer to this as "stealing" but it is a sneaky way to increase your compensation as an executive. It also causes a conflict of interest when a company is deciding whether to issue dividends or do a stock buyback.