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Societe Generale's loss is the biggest ever by an individual trader
How did Société Générale, the French banking giant, lose close to $7 billion? The answer is Jerome Kerviel, a trader with intimate understanding of the firm's risk management and control policies. He lost the money while betting on the direction of European stock indexes, which he then tried to cover up with fake positions. Kerviel, who faces 7 years in prison and $1.5-million fine, says his bosses knew what he was up to and didn't stop him as long as he was generating huge profits.
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