Google's stock price, too, has taken a hit. It opened 2008 at $692.87 on Jan.2 and closed the year at $307.65 on Dec. 31. Today it's trading in the $343 range.

To address the number of outstanding stock options that are underwater (meaning the stock options have exercise prices that are higher than the current market price of Google's stock), Google offered its employees a voluntary, one-for-one stock option exchange. The exchange offer -- completed earlier this month -- allowed Google employees to swap their underwater options for an equal number of replacement options with an exercise price of $308.57 per share (the closing price of Google's stock on March 6).

The goal of the program was "to create more incentives for employees to remain at Google and contribute to achieving its business objectives," the company said in a January announcement of the exchange program.

Google employed 20,222 full-time employees as of Dec. 31.

Schmidt, Page and Brin's total pay is calculated using data supplied in a proxy statement filed with the SEC. The following figures are taken from the summary compensation table: salary, bonus, non-equity incentive plan compensation and all other compensation (perks). Added to those figures is the estimated value of stock options and awards granted during the year; that figure is taken from the table that summarizes grants of plan-based awards. The calculations don't include changes in the values of retention plan and pension benefits.