A lucrative bonus scheme for top executives at advertising giant WPP won overwhelming approval from shareholders yesterday but a few dissenters said it was a recipe for greed which would reward failure.

Investors in the world's number three advertising group voted by more than 15 to one to accept the incentive package potentially worth tens of millions of dollars to chief executive Mr Martin Sorrell and up to 14 others.

If over the next five years WPP performs best or second among 15 competitors - as measured by total shareholder return - the executives will get a bonus of five shares for each share they buy under the scheme.

But they get an extra half-share, even if WPP comes bottom of the basket.