How Much Should Santa Get Paid?

Insure.com also surveyed 2,000 adults in October to find how people feel about the Santa salary question.

People, it said, tended to be either very stingy or very generous:

• 37% said Santa should not be paid – his work should be charitable.
• 27% said $1.8 billion a year, which is approximately $1 for every child under 15 in the world.
• 15% said between $100,000 and $200,000 a year.
• 12% said under $100,000 a year.
• 9% said more than $200,000 a year.

"The disparity between the two most popular answers reveals that Santa's salary is a controversial topic," said Amy Danise, editorial director of Insure.com. "Many people have come to expect free delivery, even in this cold economy."

Controversial? OK, sure, though certainly not on the level sparked by Fox News broadcaster Megyn Kelly's "tongue-in-cheek" comments last week that Santa Claus is white.