Should CEOs Take a Pay Cut to Avoid Layoffs and Cutting Jobs? It's Complicated, Experts Say Former Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata famously took a 50% pay cut in 2013 to avoid layoffs and pay employee salaries. Previous Article How 'The Little Things' Can Help Your Small Business Stand Out Next Article I Dated My Coworker, We Broke Up, Then He Became My Boss. I Learned a Hard Lesson About Workplace Romances.