HOLY CRAP!
Rage at AIG Swells As Bonuses Go Out
A tidal wave of public outrage over bonus payments swamped American International Group yesterday. Hired guards stood watch outside the suburban Connecticut offices of AIG Financial Products, the division whose exotic derivatives brought the insurance giant to the brink of collapse last year. Inside, death threats and angry letters flooded e-mail inboxes. Irate callers lit up the phone lines. Senior managers submitted their resignations. Some employees didn't show up at all... http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...031602961.html
It really does seem like these people are completely clueless, otherwise they would have been willing to waive their bonuses, like so many other people are being forced to do all around the country, even though they also had contracts. If this isn't brought under control, violence might break out, and that really would be a shame.
This is only the beginning of $400 million going to that department. AIG also has $600 million more in retention awards going out to about 4,700 people throughout its global insurance units. I expect some of those death threats/threats of violence may happen if something isn't done about this.
In addition, the bonuses are retention awards, but many of the people receiving them no longer work there. 11 people who don't work there received more than $1 million each.... According to the attorney general's office, the top individual bonus was more than $6.4 million, and the top seven received more than $4 million each...
http://www.usatoday.com/money/indust...g_N.htm?csp=34