給料６００億円

破綻したリーマンブラザーズのCEOリチャード・ファルド氏が０８年１０月６日米国下院監査委員会に召喚され、委員たちに破綻の責任を追及されている。中でも出色の質問が、ワックスマン委員長による質問。「あなたの会社は破産し、国は危機に瀕している。在任中の８年間に６００億円稼いだ金はあなたはもったまま。で、とても基本的な質問があります。これってフェアーなんでしょうか？」。絶句するファルド氏。私のような普通の人間にとっては信じられないほどの高額な給料なのでフェアーなはずがないじゃないかと思う一方、悪人を祭り上げることで金融危機の藁人形を用意しているのかな、と思ったり。金融危機なんてとっくの昔にマルクスが言っていたことではないか。
Former Lehman CEO Richard Fuld Talks Compensation

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--cifEkRXc4

テキストに起こしたものは以下をみかけた。もう少し詳しく読みたいかたは以下をどうぞ。
Sparks fly as Lehman Brothers chief executive testifies before Congress
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/oct/06/creditcrunch.lehmanbrothers

In a brief speech that was heard in silence, Fuld told lawmakers that if he could turn back the clock, he would do many things differently. As soon as he finished speaking, sparks began to fly. The chairman of the committee held up a chart suggesting that Fuld's personal remuneration totalled $480m over eight years – including payouts of $91m in 2001 and $89m in 2005.

"Your company is now bankrupt and out country is in a state of crisis," said Waxman, a liberal lawmaker from California. "You get to keep $480m. I have a very basic question – is that fair?" After a long pause, Fuld demurred, saying the figure was exaggerated: "The majority of my compensation, sir, came in stock. The vast majority of the stock I got I still owned at the point of our [bankruptcy] filing."

Waxman cut him off, saying that even if the figure was slightly lower, it was "unimaginable" to much of the public. "Is that fair, for a CEO of a company that's now bankrupt, to make that kind of money? It's just unimaginable to so many people." Waxman asked. "I would say to you the $500m number is not accurate," said Fuld. "I'd say to you, although it's still a large number, for the years you're talking about here, my cash compensation was close to $60m, which you've indicated here, and I took out closer to $250m [in shares]."

Interrupting again, Waxman listed Fuld's collection of property – including a $14m ocean-front villa in Florida and a home in the exclusive ski resort of Sun Valley, Idaho. "You and your wife have an art collection filled with million dollar paintings," said Waxman. "Your former president, Joe Gregory used to travel to work in a helicopter."
The pugnacious Waxman warmed to his theme: "You made all this money taking risks with other peoples' money."

Refusing to give ground, Fuld said his pay had been set by an independent compensation committee which spent "a tremendous amount of time" making sure executives' interests were aligned with those of shareholders.

"When the company did well, we did well," said Fuld. "When the company did not do well, we didn't do well." Waxman disagreed: "Mr Fuld, there seems to be a breakdown, because you did very well when the company was doing well and you did well when the company was not doing well. And now your shareholders who owned your company have nothing. They've been wiped out."

リーマン・ブラザーズ、悪夢の内幕
http://business.nikkeibp.co.jp/article/topics/20081006/172761/?P=1

近況

公私共に来客多忙でへろへろ。

• ミラノの友人が奥さん連れでやってきたと思ったら重なってバーゼルから別の友人が。結局まとめてお相手、ということに。
• 続けてさらに日本から研究滞在で人が来訪。
• 来週は視察とか某大学の先生とか友人の知り合いとかバタバタ。まー、楽しいからいいんだけど。
• 関係ないけど研究所に日本のポスドクが急増。本土であふれ始めたのだなあと実感。
• 誕生日にニ方面からそれぞれ一本づつグラッパ。いずれも私の好きなリゼルバタイプで茶色でスモーキーなポリのグラッパ。いやーありがたい。でももう一本半なくなってしまった。ああ。なお、普通の透明のグラッパってあんまりうまくないと思うのだがどうなのかな。
• オーネット・コールマンのライブへ。いやーすごかった。理詰めのジャズ。集中するとどこかの器官が閉店になるワタクシは真ん前のよい席だったのにほとんど目を閉じて聴いてしまった。ベースがアコースティックとエレキの二人、ドラマーという４人構成で、これがまたよかった。エレキベースがジャコパスの”ジャコ・パストリアス”みたいな演奏でこれまた猛烈にかっこよかった。

ジャコ・パストリアスの肖像+2

• でもドイツ人ってださださのラウンジジャズみたいのが好きな人が多いからか（カクテルバーとかでかかっているメロメロスィートなやつ）、四分の一ぐらいの人が途中で帰っていた。これにはオドロイタ。
• 来週はフランスまで遠征してハービー・ハンコックの予定。これは例のプレゼントとは関係がなく、旧友三人でゴソゴソと。