196 he came close to buying Lazard: See Cohan,
196 About Greg Curl: Zachary R. Mider, “Lewis Turns to Tomato-Growing ‘Unknown Genius’ on Merrill Deal,” Bloomberg News, September 24, 2008.
197 “Okay, you can fight him”: Daniel S. Morrow, “Kenneth Lewis Oral History,” Computer-world Honors Program International Archives, May 3, 2004. See www.cwhonors.org/archives/histories/Lewis.pdf.
199 “No, we wouldn’t use our
200 Paulson, unshaven and wearing jeans, was pacing the halls and pestering his staff: This scene was first reported by Deborah Solomon, who quoted Wilkinson as saying: “[Y]ou need to leave us alone so we can do our jobs.” Author’s subsequent reporting revealed slightly different wording. See Deborah Solomon, “The Fannie & Freddie Question—Treasury’s Paulson Struggles with the Mortgage Crisis,”
200 take a quick bike ride: Ibid.
201 “Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac play a central role”: “Paulson Announces GSE Initiatives,” press release, Department of the Treasury, July 13, 2008. See http://www.treas.gov/press/releases/hp1079.htm.
201 “Our proposal”: “Part I, Part II of a Hearing of the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee,” Federal News Service, July 15, 2008.
203 SEC to begin cracking down on improper short selling: The SEC issued an emergency diktat to halt “unlawful manipulation through ‘naked ’ short selling,” which was set to start that Monday, July 21, 2008, and expire after thirty days. Kara Scannell and Jenny Strasburg, “SEC Moves to Curb Short-Selling,”
204 Lehman’s board: Dennis K. Berman, “Where Was Lehman’s Board?” WSJ Blog/Deal Journal, September 15, 2008.
205 Ken Wilson was standing in line at Westchester County Airport: Susanne Craig, “In Ken Wilson, Paulson Gets Direction from the Go-To Banker of Wall Street,”
206 On the evening of July 21, Paulson arrived for a dinner: From Paulson’s July calendar, with dinner scheduled from 6:45 to 8:30 p.m.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
209 “to conduct a thorough strategic”: “American International Group Names Robert B. Willumstad Chief Executive Officer,” transcript of an AIG board conference call, June 16, 2008.
210 reported $5.4 billion loss: Liam Pleven, “AIG Posts $5.4 Billion Loss as Housing Woes Continue,”
210 Geithner had greeted him with his usual firm, athletic handshake: According to Geithner’s calendar, they were scheduled to meet from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, July 29, 2008.
212 Morgan Stanley would receive a token payment of $95,000: Aaron Lucchetti, “The Fannie-Freddie Takeover: Two Veterans Led Task for Morgan Stanley,”
213 “Either investors are going to be massively diluted”: Al Yoon, “Freddie Posts 4th Straight Qtrly Loss, Slashes Dividend,” Reuters, August 6, 2008.
214 Freddie’s reported loss of $821 million: Ibid.
214 In the first week of August; On that Monday: These meetings took place on August 4 and 5.
214 Min Euoo Sung arrived in Manhattan from Seoul: Lehman’s “secret meetings” with K DB were reported by Henny Sender and Francesco Guerrera, “Lehman’s Secret Talks to Sell 50% Stake Stall,”
219 “In the event the slow erosion of confidence turns into a rout”: Donald Kohn’s e-mail to Ben Bernanke was released as part of the Report of the Examiner in the Chapter 11 proceedings of Lehman Brothers Holdings by Anton R. Valukas, chairman of Jenner & Block. See: http://lehmanreport.jenner.com/.
219 Fuld owned ninety-seven acres in the area: “Lehman Brothers CEO Is Local Land Baron,”
221 “A bubble, once ‘pricked’ ”: Ben Bernanke and Mark Gertler, “Monetary Policy and Asset Price Volatility,” Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City’s Economic Symposium, Jackson Hole, Wyoming, 1999. See http://www.kc.frb.org/Publicat/sympos/1999/S99gert.pdf.
221 “the Bernanke doctrine”: John Cassidy, “Anatomy of a Meltdown,”
221 “It is not the responsibility of the Federal Reserve”: Ben Bernanke, “Housing, Housing Finance, and Monetary Policy,” Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City’s Economic Symposium, Jackson Hole, Wyoming, August 31, 2007. See http://www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/speech/bernanke20070831a.htm.
222 One day a little Dutch boy: Alan S. Blinder, “Discussion of Willem Buiter’s, ‘Central Banks and Financial Crises,’ ” Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City’s Annual Economic Symposium,” Jackson Hole, Wyoming, August 23, 2008. See http://www.kc.frb.org/publicat/sympos/2008/blinder.08.25.08.pdf.
222 “statutory resolution regime for nonbanks”: Ben Bernanke, “Reducing Systemic Risk,” Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City’s Annual Economic Symposium,” Jackson Hole, Wyoming, August 22, 2008.
223 Moody’s cut its ratings: Jody Shenn, “Fannie, Freddie Preferred Stock Downgraded by Moody’s,” Bloomberg News, August 22, 2008.
224 having shorted subprime before anyone else: Andy Kessler, “The Paulson Plan Will Make Money for Taxpayers,”
224 Paulson had heard rumors when he was in China: Paulson,
