Nissan Motor Co. paid tuition for all four of ousted chairman Carlos Ghosn¡¯s children when they attended Stanford University between 2004 and 2015, according to people familiar with the matter.

The perk was part of Ghosn¡¯s employment contract from 1999, when he was hired as chief executive officer of the carmaker, said one of the people, who asked not to be named because the information isn¡¯t public. The benefit, which isn¡¯t common among top executives, would have been worth at least $601,000, according to fee schedules published by Stanford during the years his children were enrolled.

In a statement, Nissan declined comment on the details of executive compensation packages. A spokesman for the family said Ghosn¡¯s contract was approved by Nissan and also included payment of pre-university tuition fees. The children graduated at or near the top of their high school classes, he said. A spokesman for Stanford in California said U.S. law prevented the university from giving out information about tuition payments.