Suspected bribery and corruption in ten countries and financing of the terrorist network IS.

The dramatic details appear in Ericsson's secret internal report and several other internal documents that SVT and the international journalist network ICIJ have read.

When Ericsson in a press release published certain information from the report on the evening of February 15 after SVT together with international journalists asked a long list of questions to the company, the company's share collapsed on the Stockholm Stock Exchange the next day.

In a short time, more than SEK 40 billion of shareholders' money disappeared.

Since then, the share has had a negative development.

The company's top managers during the years to which the information applies have had a very good financial remuneration development.

Record salary

When Ericsson in December 2019 received a billion dollars in fines from the US Department of Justice for corruption offenses, it was a record in international corruption fines.

At that time, the company's current CEO Börje Ekholm had been head for two years.

In a press release, then-US Deputy Attorney General Brian Benczkowski wrote that "Ericsson's corrupt behavior involved senior executives and spanned 17 years and at least five countries, all in an attempt to wrongly increase profits."

Despite fines and extensive criticism, Börje Ekholm received the year after salary, option compensation, pensions and other benefits totaling approximately SEK 100 million, which is one of the highest remuneration a Swedish CEO of a Swedish listed company has ever received.

During the five years he has been CEO of the company, he has, according to the annual reports, earned at least SEK 250 million.

A large part of the compensation derives from bonus programs.

Parachute

Börje Ekholm's representative, Hans Vestberg, was forced after extensive criticism to leave Ericsson in 2016. His parachute, bonus and salary cost Ericsson almost SEK 80 million.

During the six and a half years he was CEO, his total remuneration amounted to approximately SEK 350 million.

His credentials from Ericsson made him a very well-paid CEO of the American telecommunications giant Verizon Communications 2018.

SVT has sought Börje Ekholm, Hans Vestberg and the main owner Investor's Chairman of the Board Jacob Wallenberg without result.