Secret Lehman Sale Talks Fail

2008 investment slammed by financial crisis

(NEWSER) - Libya handed $1.3 billion in Goldman Sachs in 2008 for a range of investments—but as the financial crisis took hold, the money lost 98% of its value, a Wall Street Journal investigation finds. Goldman made a deal with Moammar Gadhafi’s sovereign-wealth fund as it sought “to join the major leagues” in investment banking, says a former Treasury official. Libya’s $1.3 billion went to options on currencies and stocks in Citigroup, Italy’s UniCredit, Banco Santander, and more. More»

Bankrupt company jumps sixfold in 'lottery ticket' deals

(NEWSER) - Here's a stock tip for you: Lehman Brothers. No, really—the busted financial giant, which had been trading at less than 5 cents a share, peaked at 32 cents last week, with volume hitting 100 million shares in late August after sitting at virtually zero most of the year. The trading, which is taking place privately rather than on a registered exchange, is little more than "tulip mania," one hedge fund manager said. "People have decided it's worth something based on nothing." More»

(NEWSER) - A New York University professor who predicted the current economic crisis warns that losses at US banks could climb to $3.6 trillion, leaving the whole system essentially bankrupt, Bloomberg reports. Economist Nouriel Roubini argues that since the system has a base capitalization of just $1.4 trillion, if losses get that high the “US banking system is effectively insolvent.” As it stands, financial institutions worldwide have lost or written down more than $1 trillion. More»

So far, 170,000 positions have been cut worldwide

(NEWSER) - Job cuts in the financial services sector could hit 350,000 worldwide by the middle of 2009, double the number so far, Bloomberg reports. "This is the financial equivalent of World War II," says the CEO of a major headhunting firm. If he's right, by summer, the industry will be 20% smaller than it was before Lehman Brothers and other investment banks started shedding jobs by the thousands. More»

(NEWSER) - Freddie Mac, the swamped mortgage giant seized by the government two months ago, asked for $13.8 billion from the Treasury today after a record quarterly loss plunged its net worth into the negative, Bloomberg reports. Sister company Fannie Mae, also under government control, said this week it might need funds beyond the $100 billion previously earmarked for each of the firms before the end of the year. More»