Critics of over-the-top executive pay often focus on specific years, pointing out cases where shareholders suffered while executives gained. Bloomberg looks at the issue over a decade--at Goldman Sachs, always a lightening rod for criticism.

Over the last 10 years, Goldman stock turned in a 2.78 percent annualized total return. Ten-year Treasury notes over that period returned 5.8 percent, reports Bloomberg.

Goldman's performance may look middling at first glance, but the S&P 500 financial index fell 49 percent. JPMorgan Chase's return was a meager 1.23 percent. Morgan Stanley, Citigroup and Bank of America each declined over the period, notes Bloomberg.

Over that period, does Goldman'' relative outperformance justify the $125 million in cash bonuses paid to CEO Lloyd Blankfein? It's a tough call in hindsight.

Obviously in winning years, he's going to make a lot of money, but in not so great years, he'll never be asked to give back money. Blankfein received no bonus in 2008 and no cash bonus in 2009, though he took a home a $9 million stock grant. You could argue this so many ways. What do you think?

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