EchoStar CORP 8-K

What Happened
EchoStar Corporation filed a Form 8-K (Dec 29, 2025) disclosing a new letter agreement with Hamid Akhavan effective December 26, 2025 in connection with his appointment as Chief Executive Officer. The new letter agreement replaces the prior October 2, 2023 agreement and keeps Mr. Akhavan’s base salary and bonus opportunity unchanged.

Key Details

• Effective date: December 26, 2025; agreement term expires December 31, 2026.
• Compensation: base salary and bonus opportunity continued unchanged from prior agreement.
• Equity/vests: vesting of the final tranche of Mr. Akhavan’s December 31, 2023 option award will accelerate if a "Qualifying Termination" occurs.
• Future awards: any equity awards granted on or after the Effective Date are at the discretion of the Chairman and the Executive Compensation Committee.
• The letter agreement replaces the prior October 2, 2023 letter and is filed as Exhibit 10.1 to the 8-K.

Why It Matters
For investors, this confirms continuity in CEO pay (no immediate cash raise) while preserving a potential acceleration of equity vesting on a qualifying termination — which could affect timing of share issuance and executive compensation expense. The agreement’s expiration at year-end 2026 creates a defined window for compensation and equity decisions, and future equity grants are discretionary, controlled by the board/compensation committee.