Alexander Visotsky for Forbes: Why the Choice Between Salary and Dividends Can Cost Millions

Forbes Kazakhstan has published an expert article by Alexander Visotsky dedicated to one of the most underestimated management mistakes made by company owners — combining the roles of owner and CEO and mixing personal income with business finances.

In this piece, Visotsky examines a common dilemma: whether to pay oneself a salary or take money out as dividends. However, his primary focus is not on the form of payment, but on the underlying management logic.

Alexander explains why the CEO's job and the owner's job are two distinct functions with different responsibilities, motivations, and compensation systems. When these roles converge in a single person, the business begins to lose efficiency, and strategic decisions are replaced by operational compromises.

The article provides a detailed analysis of how an internal conflict of interest stunts company growth, obscures new opportunities, and leads to chronic owner burnout. Special attention is given to the moment when hiring a CEO becomes a growth driver rather than an expense.

Visotsky draws on his own entrepreneurial journey and real-world management decisions that allowed him to establish a clear income model, separate management from ownership, and create the conditions for scaling the business.

This material will be valuable for entrepreneurs who still handle all management themselves, feel overwhelmed, and want to understand why their company has hit a ceiling despite having a good product and strong demand.

Read the full version of the article at this link: https://forbes.kz/articles/zarplata-ili-dividendy-otvet-na-etot-vopros-stoit-kompaniyam-milliony-fc6f0f