Mack Steps Down as Morgan Stanley CEO

Commission styled after 9/11 inquiry probes meltdown

(AP) - Four of Wall Street's fattest fatcats are headed to Washington this morning to do some explaining about how exactly it was that the United States of America came to teeter on the brink of financial Armageddon. A 9/11 Commission-style panel appointed by Congress has the job of writing the narrative of the financial industry's collapse. Sitting in the hot seat will be Goldman Sachs' Lloyd Blankfein, JPMorgan Chase's Jamie Dimon, Morgan Stanley's John Mack, and Bank of America's Brian Moynihan. More»

Wall Street chieftains were well rewarded for risks they took in 2003-07

(NEWSER) - More than $3 billion was paid to the chief executives of the five biggest financial firms on Wall Street in the run-up to the credit crisis, Bloomberg reports. While supervising bad mortgage-related credit bets that eventually brought the financial system to its knees, Merrill Lynch’s Stanley O’Neal took in $172 million in 2003-07, while Bear Stearns’ James Cayne took in $161 million. More»

(NEWSER) - Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley, the nation's last two major independent investment banks, have gotten permission to become bank holding companies, the Federal Reserve said tonight. A fundamental rearrangement of Wall Street, the move will allow them to create commercial banks, which would bolster their resources, while inviting increased regulation. It reflects the Fed's determination not to let Goldman and Morgan Stanley fail, the New York Times notes. More»

Blankfein nets huge payday after bank avoids subprime tank

(NEWSER) - Goldman Sachs gave CEO Lloyd Blankfein a $67.9 million bonus for 2007, believed to be one of the largest such payouts in history, MarketWatch reports. The bonus includes $26.8 million in cash and $41.1 million in stocks. Goldman succeeded this year while rivals foundered in the subprime morass; CEOs at poor-performing Morgan Stanley and Bear Stearns did not receive bonuses for 2007. More»

After 'embarassing' quarter, Mack could lose his swagger— and his job

(NEWSER) - When John Mack became Morgan Stanley’s CEO in 2005, he told the company to take more risks. “You’ve lost your swagger,” he told his traders. Now, after several questionable moves and yesterday's staggering $9.4 billion writedown, swagger isn’t looking so hot—and Mack could be sent packing, the Wall Street Journal reports. More»