'Heist' is a good word for it! STRS, are you listening?

From John Bos, October 31, 2008

$50 billion of bailout going to employee bonuses

Oct 31, 2008
msn.com
by Andrew Horowitz

As if the economic bailout by U.S. taxpayers isn't enough to make you sick to your stomach, new information has come to light that several banks are planning to pay billions of dollars in year-end bonuses from the bailout funds they received. Investigations are beginning into the nine banks that took in the first $125 billion -- the same $125 billion that was supposed to be used to unclog the credit system which was preventing banks from providing much needed funds for individuals and businesses.

There are many feathers in a ruffle over this and New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo and several congressmen are furious that over $20 billion has already been earmarked as bonus funds for management and employees. Unbelievably, that is just the estimates from Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and Merrill Lynch. There are six more banks that are also working on similar heists.

Here is their rationale for using that money: It is reported that the financial industry pays base salaries in the range of $80,000 to $600,000 and apparently that is simply not enough to keep some of the best and brightest working to keep their companies profitable. It seems that if they were paid only this meager amount, the company would risk mass defections. That would be a real problem...or would it?

Maybe it is time to peg annual bonuses to something meaningful like profitability. As I recall, not only are these the firms that have been losing money (as is evident by the need for a massive multi-billion dollar bailout) but they have also been shown to be the creators of securitization, derivatives, sub-prime mortgages and other toxic credit that is the root cause of this historic global economic catastrophe!

Maybe I am being too harsh? Perhaps management is entitled to hundreds of millions in bonuses for the hard work they do, day in and day out. You have to feel sorry for them as most have had to give up their private jets and instead fly in a cramped seat in first class. Surely most will now have to wonder how they will deal with the excess workload as they have had to fire thousands of employees. Also, they will need to use a good chunk of that money to rebuild their retirement plans as much of their wealth was tied up in their company's stock which, under their leadership, could be down more than 60% just this year alone.

Related Reading:

Listen: TDI Podcast - Predicting another 40% down

Henry Waxman Requests for Bonus information

Wall Street banks in $70bln staff payout

Will Banks really need to curb CEO Pay?

$500 billion of 401k wealth is destroyed

Andrew Horowitz is a money manager and the founder of Horowitz & Company. He is also the author of the bestselling book, The Disciplined Investor . Check out his latest investment idea or listen in as he hosts, The Disciplined Investor Podcast.