Warner Bros. Discovery shareholders on Thursday voted "overwhelmingly" in favor of the merger with Paramount Skydance, clearing a critical hurdle. Yes, but: Shareholders did not approve the executive compensation package presented at the meeting. Why it matters: The executive compensation package would have seen CEO David Zaslav earning at least $500 million. Zoom in: More than 1.4 billion votes were cast against the compensation proposal, versus the 307.7 million in favor. Each share of WBD common stock is entitled to one vote. The compensation proposal was an advisory, non-binding vote and not a condition for completion of the deal. The executives could still earn the payments outlined in the package if the deal closes, regardless of the outcome of the shareholder vote. Over 1.7 billion votes were cast in favor of the Paramount merger, compared with the roughly 16.3 million against. Catch up quick: Zaslav has led WBD since 2022.…