Former News International chief executive Rebekah Brooks has reportedly been given a severance package worth £3.5m following her resignation.
Brooks left the company on Friday, saying she felt a "deep sense of responsibility" for the hurt the News of the World phone hacking scandal has caused.
Speaking to The Independent, senior colleagues at News International have estimated that Brooks will be receiving the largest seven-figure payout.
Furthermore, Colin Myler, the News of the World's last editor, is said to be in line for a £2m pay-off, with Jon Chapman and Tom Crone - two of the company's senior lawyers - receiving around £1.5m each.
The payouts come with strict gagging orders to prevent them discussing company affairs in public, aside from at the judge-led inquiry and any criminal proceedings.
Meanwhile, the News of the World's 200 lower-ranking workers are still waiting to discover if they will be made redundant. The paper's newsroom is being treated as a crime scene, forbidding any access to former staff.
Les Hinton, who resigned as chief executive of Dow Jones last night, is also expected to receive a similarly generous severance package.
The girl's gotta eat!
