SiliconBeat

As Opsware (ticker:OPSW) at last succumbs to the loving embrace of Hewlett-Packard (ticker:HPQ), its executives are getting one last parting gift for their part in the $1.6 billion merger.

On Wednesday, Opsware filed a series of form 4s detailing the amount of cash HP was giving to each executive for the vested but unexercised portion of their stock options. Last week, we posted about the cash windfall each Opsware executive was getting for their stock, including founder Marc Andreessen, who bagged $98 million. 

But those figures didn’t cover the vested but unexercised portion of the options. HP canceled those and handed out B.W.O.C. (big wads of cash) to compensate execs for their troubles.

Andreessen, one of the founders, is the big winner (no surprise) with another $19.2 million.

The other lottery winners include: Read the rest of this entry »

And why would this be such a cause to celebrate? Hewlett Packard (ticker: HPQ) announced Monday that enough shareholders had tendered shares for the Palo Alto company to close its $1.6 billion cash deal to acquire Sunnyvale-based Opsware (ticker:OPSW…but not for long).

Thus ends years of hard work, changes of strategies, and difficult merger negotiations for the pour souls at Opsware. And thus begins the handing out of the big wads of a cash. In a series of Form 4s filed on Wednesday, Opsware disclosed just how much each insider will be getting from the deal that’s paying $14.25 per share in cash:

• Marc Andreessen, founder, director, Internet poster boy, $98,279,186.25
• Benjamin Horowitz, president and CEO, $59,588,256
• Michael Ovitz, director, $15,152,196
• Sharmila Shahani, executive vice president, $1,570,578
• Michael Volpi, director, $1,205,991.75
• David Conte, chief financial officer, $1,187,880
• William Campbell, director, $1,068,750
• Mark Cranney, executive vice president, $298,409.25
• Simon Lorne, director, $99,750
• Jordan Breslow, general counsel and secretary, $27,801.75

In a series of securities filings today, Opsware provided additional background for its merger with Hewlett-Packard. Among the most interesting revelations is that at one point at least 11 companies expressed interest in buying the data center software company.

Despite all the suitors, the company initially had trouble getting a bid it would consider. Most companies weren’t willing to pay more than $11 a share for the company that was founded by Silicon Valley poster boy Mark Andreessen.

The company pretty much told everyone to forget it, even though it was nervous about the pending public offering by an unnamed competitor (probably BladeLogic). But eventually, companies started knocking on its door again, including HP. Pretty soon, the bidding came down to HP and another company, who bid the price up to $14.25 per share, the final price when the deal was announced on July 23.

Two other interesting notes: While the company was weighing various offers and holding discussions, board members were awarded 25,000 options priced at $9.28 on June 26, the day of the shareholders’ meeting. This included Simon Lorne, William Campbell, Michael Ovitz and Michelangelo Volpi.

But it didn’t include Mike Homer — a board member who resigned on May 21 for “personal reasons.”