Looking for someone to pick up the tab for a night on the town this weekend? Well, you might want to track down one of 28 executives, directors and/or officers of Barrick Gold Corp. who since Sept. 1, 2007 have exercised and sold more that 1.2 million options for company shares.

Consider the 420,050 options that were exercised and then sold from Sept. 10 to Sept 14, 2007. They generated $3,254,651 plus US$1,439,812 in total profit for the 15 Barrick officers who performed these transactions.

That's one helluva dinner for starters.     

Also on the National Post

Barrick Gold Corp. executive vice president, exploration and corporate development, Alexander Davidson, exercised 25,000 options for company shares at $23.85 each on Sept. 18, 2007, then sold these shares for $39 each the same day. He exercised 5,600 options at the same price on Sept. 20, then sold these shares. Mr. Davidson exercised another 19,400 options at the same price the following day, then sold the shares for $41 each.

Patrick Carver, executive vice president and general counsel at Barrick, exercised 12,100 options at $29.60 on Sept. 18, then sold these shares for prices ranging from $39.35 to $39.41 the same day. He exercised another 12,000 options at $29.60 on Sept. 20, then sold these shares for $40.30 each the same day.

Peter Kinver, executive vice president and COO, exercised 40,000 options for Barrick shares at US$23.80 each on Sept. 21, then sold these shares the same day for prices ranging from US$40.26 to US$40.32.

Executive vice president and CFO, Jamie Sokalsky, exercised 49,100 options at $30.70 each on Sept. 19, then sold these shares the same day for prices ranging from $39.45 to $39.61.

Many others at Barrick exercised options and sold company shares.