Vladimir Novachki
About Vladimir Novachki
Vladimir Novachki, 37, is Chief Technology Officer at Trump Media & Technology Group (DJT) and has served in this role since July 2023; he previously joined via an executive employment agreement effective January 16, 2023 . He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science and an Engineering degree from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technologies in Skopje and pursued a Master’s in Software Engineering at the Faculty of Computer Science and Engineering in Skopje; he created one of the first Android mobile applications in 2010 . The proxy includes Item 402 pay-versus-performance disclosures with “compensation actually paid” and Company TSR and net loss graphs, but specific TSR values are not enumerated for Novachki individually .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG) | Chief Technology Officer | Jul 2023–present | Leads technology strategy; expertise in high-performance, scalable web applications for real-time users . |
| Cosmic Development | Chief Technology Officer | 2016–Jan 2023 | Led projects including Little Things, Bookmark, America’s Funniest Home Videos, and TMTG’s partner Rumble . |
| Cosmic Development | Employee (various roles) | Mar 2012–2016 | Software engineering and IT support services experience prior to CTO appointment . |
| Independent | Android app developer | 2010 | Created one of the first Android mobile applications . |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| — | — | — | No public company directorships or external board roles disclosed in the proxy . |
Fixed Compensation
| Item | Date | Amount ($) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base salary rate (Employment Agreement) | Jan 16, 2023 | 300,000 | Initial agreement as CIO; eligible to participate in annual bonus plan, if any (no target disclosed) . |
| Base salary rate (amendment, effective at Closing) | Mar 2024 | 365,000 | Title changed to CTO; salary rate effective contingent upon Closing . |
| Base salary rate (Comp Committee increase) | Oct 1, 2024 | 550,000 | Compensation Committee increased annual base salary effective Oct 1, 2024 . |
| Transaction/Retention bonus | 2024 | 600,000 | Retention bonus payable within 30 days after the Closing Date (business combination closed Mar 25, 2024) . |
| Salary paid (reported) | 2024 | 396,083 | Summary Compensation Table amount . |
| Perquisites | 2024 | 25,620 | Legal fees paid by company towards permanent residency application . |
| All Other Compensation (promissory note) | 2024 | 450,000 | Executive promissory note face value; converted into shares upon Closing; value included as grant-date fair value of shares issued . |
Performance Compensation
| Award | Grant Date | Shares Granted (#) | Grant-date Fair Value ($) | Vesting Start Date | Vesting Schedule | Full Vest Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RSUs (2024 Plan) | Nov 5, 2024 | 546,378 | 18,544,069 | Dec 25, 2024 | 25% vested on Dec 25, 2024; remaining 75% vests in nine substantially equal quarterly installments, subject to continued service | Mar 25, 2027 |
| As of Date | Unvested RSUs (#) | Market Value ($) | Price Assumption |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 31, 2024 | 409,784 | 13,973,634 | $34.10 closing price on 12/31/2024 |
| Award Type | Granted in 2024? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Stock options / Stock Appreciation Rights (SARs) | No | Company states no options/SARs granted to named executive officers within specified windows in fiscal 2024 . |
Equity Ownership & Alignment
| Category | Amount (#) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Unrestricted stock | 37,199 | Direct holdings . |
| Restricted stock | 82,780 | Restricted shares outstanding . |
| Unvested RSUs | 409,784 | Unvested portion of Nov 5, 2024 RSU grant . |
| Total beneficial ownership | 529,763 | Aggregate per security ownership table . |
| Ownership % of outstanding shares | <1% | Company had 220,412,376 shares outstanding as of Mar 11, 2025 . |
| Shares pledged as collateral | None reported | Management knows of no pledge arrangements that may result in change in control . |
| Hedging policy | Prohibited | Insider Trading Policy prohibits hedging and derivative transactions linked to company securities . |
Employment Terms
| Term | Detail |
|---|---|
| Agreement effective date | January 16, 2023 (Novachki Employment Agreement) . |
| Initial role/title | Chief Information Officer . |
| Amended role/title | Chief Technology Officer (March 2024 amendment) . |
| Severance | If terminated without cause or resigns for good reason more than 30 days after effective date: accrued obligations plus an amount equal to one month of base salary . |
| Retention bonus | $600,000 payable within 30 days after the Closing Date; contingent upon Closing . |
| Equity in original agreement | Initial grant of 75,000 RSUs removed in March 2024 amendment; instead eligible for discretionary equity awards under 2024 Plan . |
| 2024 Plan overview | A&R 2024 Plan permits RSUs, options, SARs, restricted stock and performance awards; awards subject to terms and conditions; plan language addresses Code Section 409A compliance . |
Investment Implications
- Compensation mix shifted materially toward time-based RSUs under the 2024 Plan, aligning retention with multi-year vesting through March 2027; lack of performance-conditioned equity reduces direct pay-for-performance linkage but creates ongoing service-based alignment .
- Quarterly vesting cadence through 2027 introduces a regular supply of newly vested shares; while individual selling intentions are unknown, such schedules can create periodic insider selling windows and potential technical pressure if dispositions occur .
- Cash elements include increased base salary effective October 2024 and a Closing-related retention bonus; severance economics are limited to accrued obligations plus a short severance period, which mitigates golden-parachute risk and suggests retention emphasis via equity rather than cash protections .
- Beneficial ownership is under 1% but comprises unrestricted, restricted, and unvested RSUs; no pledging is reported and hedging is prohibited by policy, supporting alignment and lowering financing/hedging-related red flags .