Jan. 7 (Bloomberg) -- Goldman Sachs Group Inc., the world's most profitable securities firm, said it distributed 2007 bonus payouts ``appropriately'' after a record year, disputing a newspaper report that it shortchanged some workers.

``The story in the New York Post yesterday about what they refer to as `some cost center employees' getting `stiffed' on bonuses is nonsense,'' Lucas van Praag, a spokesman in London, said today. ``We compensate our people based on their performance and the performance of the firm. We had a very strong year and took great care to reward our people appropriately.''

Goldman's compensation and benefits climbed 23 percent to a record $20.2 billion in 2007 as the New York-based firm avoided losses on subprime mortgage-related investments that led to executive changes at rival firms. Lloyd Blankfein, Goldman's chairman and chief executive officer, set a new Wall Street CEO pay record with a $67.9 million year-end bonus.

The New York Post, citing an unidentified source, reported yesterday that Goldman slashed the bonuses of some people in information technology and other administrative positions.

``That was a single item in a column that is a gossip column, which is distinct and very different from a news story,'' said Richard Wilner, Sunday business section editor at the New York Post.

To contact the reporter on this story: Christine Harper in New York at charper@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: January 7, 2008 14:53 EST