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Keith E. Busse is a co-founder and former CEO of Steel Dynamics, Inc., a major player in the steel industry since 1993. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Michigan and has been recognized as...

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Keith E. Busse

Founder and Ex-CEO of Steel Dynamics

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business Administration from the University of Michigan

Field of Expertise

Business & Management

Sector of Economy

Basic Materials

Born

September 19, 1951 - 73 years ago

CEO of Steel Dynamics for

18 years 11 months (Jan 1993 - Dec 2011)

Previous Experience

Co-founder of Steel Dynamics, Inc.

Holdings

See how much did Keith E. Busse make over time.

During his time at Steel Dynamics, Busse held a considerable amount of stock in the company, peaking at values upwards of $30 million in late 2019 just before he announced his retirement. This significant holding demonstrated his confidence in the...

Mar 18, 2025

Total Stock Sold

$27.87M

STLD

$27.87M

688,608.352 STLD shares

What if they kept their stock?

If Keith E. Busse didn't sell their stock, today they would have:
Extra STLD688,608.352 shares worth $19.39M.
This is -30.42% and $8.48M less than what they got when they sold the stock.

Insider Trading

See recent insider trades of Keith E. Busse.

STLD

7 shares

STLD

Apr 14, 2023

Received

STLD

6 shares

STLD

Jan 13, 2023

Received

STLD

$2.14M

STLD at $95.78/share

Oct 24, 2022

Sale

STLD

8 shares

STLD

Oct 14, 2022

Received

STLD

9 shares

STLD

Jul 15, 2022

Received

STLD

$420.89K

STLD at $83.51/share

Jun 3, 2022

Sale

STLD

1,687 shares

STLD

Jun 1, 2022

Received

STLD

9 shares

STLD

Apr 21, 2022

Received

STLD

$2.19M

STLD at $72.90/share

Mar 9, 2022

Sale

STLD

10 shares

STLD

Jan 14, 2022

Received

Compensation History

See how much did Keith E. Busse make over time.

In 2011, Busse’s total compensation was around $8.8 million, which included a retirement bonus recognizing his role as founder and CEO. His salary was substantial, reflecting his responsibilities, but many of his earnings came from stock options and bonuses based on company performance metrics. Busse's compensation structure was designed to align his interests with the long-term success of Steel Dynamics, balancing immediate rewards with incentives tied to the overall company performance. His retirement compensation included a significant cash payment and stock awards, which helped to honor his legacy at Steel Dynamics, ensuring he would benefit from the company's successful future despite stepping down from daily operations.

Year

2011

Total Compensation

$6.11M

Salary

$1.04M

Board Justification

The compensation philosophy emphasizes a highly-leveraged annual incentive compensation plan that is dependent on profitability, aligning executive compensation with company performance and stockholder value.

Bonus

$0.00

Board Justification

No bonus was awarded in 2011; however, a retirement bonus was paid in recognition of his role as the Company's founder and CEO.

Other

$2.03M

Board Justification

Includes perquisites and other personal reimbursements, tax reimbursements, insurance premiums, and Company matching and profit sharing contributions to the Company's Profit Sharing and Retirement Savings Plan, including a cash payment in the amount of $2.0 million in connection with his retirement at the end of 2011.

Restricted Stock

$3.04M(3.04M restricted stock)

Board Justification

This amount reflects the grant date fair value of the restricted stock award granted under the 2008 Plan as part of the Company's annual incentive compensation for its senior executive officers, as well as an unrestricted stock award with a grant date fair value of $1.0 million and a restricted stock award with a grant date fair value of $1.0 million, the latter of which is subject to a three-year holding period requirement, which were granted to him in connection with his retirement at the end of 2011.

Performance Metrics

The performance metrics for determining the compensation include pre-tax net income and return on assets.

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