Losing $7 billion costs trader seven Facebook friends
Jerome Kerviel allegedly defrauded France's Societe Generale out of $7.2 billion by falsifying trading records so he could make unauthorized trades. It cost the 144-year old firm nearly a year's worth of net profits. But the Sydney Morning Herald has the real scoop.
When [Kerviel's] identity was revealed in the afternoon, he had 11 friends listed on the Facebook social website. That number later dropped to four.
It's the kind of news we should all take a moment to reenact in our minds.
You're at work. You're poking around the Internet. Bloip, an IM from your friend. It contains a link to a WSJ story. You click. You read about some guy losing $7.2 billion. You think: Wow, what an asshole. You look at his picture. He looks familiar. You look at his name. You look at his picture. You look at his name. You remember the limp handshake and exchanging business cards in June. You think #$#@!.