Yahoo Finance

For most of us, losing a job is a serious source of financial stress. But for CEOs of major corporations and some celebrities, losing a gig can actually mean securing a payout worth millions.

These cushy termination packages have often been called "golden parachutes," as they send the former employee into the next stage of life, or next job, with lots of cash and valuable stock options and benefits.

Find out which VIPs and members of the top brass received the largest severance packages when they stepped down, retired or were famously fired.