To keep the best, you have to pay the best...

As justification for big salaries at failing financial institutions, its said the “best’ people won’t stay if they’re not highly compensated.
1. Experience tells us the ‘best’ people don’t automatically come from big money. They received big salaries before, and they didn’t use their big brain, why would they now?
2. People who have no loyalty except to their own bank account aren't the 'best'. Do we all agree what the criteria for 'best' is?
Until we do its a specious argument and people should be called out on it.