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Wednesday, October 08, 2008

AIG Executives Throw Posh $440,000 Spa Party After Receiving Bailout

First it was Lehman Brothers getting caught giving out millions in bonuses to executives even as they asked for a bailout from the government.  Now it’s AIG throwing posh parties for executives after getting a bailout.

WASHINGTON – Days after it got a federal bailout, American International Group Inc. (AIG) spent $440,000 on a posh California retreat for its executives, complete with spa treatments, banquets and golf outings, according to lawmakers investigating the company’s meltdown.

AIG sent its executives to the coastal St. Regis resort south of Los Angeles even as the company tapped into an $85-billion loan from the government it needed to stave off bankruptcy. The resort tab included $23,380 worth of spa treatments for AIG employees, according to invoices the resort turned over to the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.

The retreat didn’t include anyone from the financial products division that nearly drove AIG under, but lawmakers still were enraged over thousands of dollars spent on outing for executives of AIG’s main US life insurance subsidiary.

Under normal circumstances I don’t care, nor do I think it’s the government’s business, what a private company’s executives get in compensation and bonuses.  I also think Congress summoning the executives of these companies being bailed out for a “ten minutes of hate” session in DC is a little absurd given that Congress is every bit as culpable as these companies in bringing about the current fiasco, if not more so.

But when a company takes a taxpayer-funded bailout they open themselves up to scrutiny from the public.  And the behavior of executives at Lehman Brothers and AIG has been nothing short of obscene.

Yet they got what they wanted, didn’t they?  A big, fat bailout from the taxpayers purchased through millions spent on lobbyists and political contributions for key members of Congress.

These companies shouldn’t have been bailed out.  They and their executives should have been allowed to fail.  But now they have been bailed out, and all the executives are sitting pool-side in cushy resorts resting easy with the knowledge that their cupidity and mismanaged businesses are safely in the hands of the members of Congress they’ve successfully bought off.

Comments

man i need my bailout to come sooner rather than later


Why should we have less abortions if you’re not really killing someone?

george on October 8, 2008 at 11:37 am
Avatar for Austin Chu

I don’t even know what to say. I’ve been following the bailout on savvywallet.com, and hearing this news today totally bummed me out. I almost thought American companies would finally start taking some responsibility. Turns out, we trusted the companies too much. If they wanted a retreat, they should have went to Best Western. Shame on them.

Austin Chu on October 8, 2008 at 01:38 pm
Avatar for Jerry

Seriously....

These folks need to be Horse Whipped…

Jerry on October 8, 2008 at 03:53 pm
Avatar for Mary

...Or lined up in front of a firing squad.  Absolutely unbelievable.

Mary on October 8, 2008 at 06:08 pm
Avatar for 1,000,000,000,000 dollars ($1 trilliion) - Jail Ti

1,000,000,000,000 dollars ($1 trilliion)

300,000,000 US People and lets assume only 200,000,000 US People are tax paying citizens and / or US Citizens

Divide the 1,000,000,000,000 dollars
among the 200,000,000 US People
that is $5000 per person.

The Bill passed closer to more that closer to $1.7T therefore each person would get about $8500 if it was distrubuted equally to the people

I think that is more fair than a single company to get $0.7T.  I have 4 family members who worked for AIG, and my mother stop getting her pension by the end of 2009 even with the bail out.  My brother and sister only has 5 more years to get a pension.

Yet, yesterday (the day after the bail out) AIG executive were in San Diego at a day spa.  Someone has to go to jail.  One previous exec got $40M for leaving, one current exec who was in san diego is going to get $7M for being in AIG for 3 months.

Oh did I mention One AIG executive and Benjamin S. Bernanke was in China during the Olympics...before Bernanke was said ‘My company will bail you out’ (single quotes means that it is my own interpertation)...His company the US Federal Reserve.

Benjamin and this One AIG executive went to college together.  The good old boys club.

http://www.hoovers.com/aig/--ID__10095,target__executive_list--/free-co-samples-index.xhtml

Avatar for 1,000,000,000,000 dollars

1,000,000,000,000 dollars ($1 trilliion)

300,000,000 US People and lets assume only 200,000,000 US People are tax paying citizens and / or US Citizens

Divide the 1,000,000,000,000 dollars
among the 200,000,000 US People
that is $5000 per person.

The Bill passed closer to more that closer to $1.7T therefore each person would get about $8500 if it was distrubuted equally to the people

I think that is more fair than a single company to get $0.7T.  I have 4 family members who worked for AIG, and my mother stop getting her pension by the end of 2009 even with the bail out.  My brother and sister only has 5 more years to get a pension.

Yet, yesterday (the day after the bail out) AIG executive were in San Diego at a day spa.  Someone has to go to jail.  One previous exec got $40M for leaving, one current exec who was in san diego is going to get $7M for being in AIG for 3 months.

Oh did I mention One AIG executive and Benjamin S. Bernanke was in China during the Olympics...before Bernanke was said ‘My company will bail you out’ (single quotes means that it is my own interpertation)...His company the US Federal Reserve.

Benjamin and this One AIG executive went to college together.  The good old boys club.

http://www.hoovers.com/aig/--ID__10095,target__executive_list--/free-co-samples-index.xhtml

1,000,000,000,000 dollars on October 8, 2008 at 07:25 pm
Avatar for Karl

I would have sent them all to a spa resort too. A forced labor camp in the great outdoors of Siberia. Ten years would be just about right.

Karl on October 9, 2008 at 06:18 am

Stalin, er, I mean Karl

Let’s not overreact. We still need to be able to equate communists, stalinists with Democrats, otherwise this blog will loose their only main talking point.


Yun Chu said, “You must strictly not express in words what is very significant. Both dragon and snake are killed in one blow.”

Sparkie Arbuckle on October 9, 2008 at 06:23 am
Avatar for Karl

I might have overreacted just a bit, but, examples need to be made of officials who “rob” the till of public money with this unethical behavior and thumb their noses at the public that they “got away” with it, and just waiting to do it all over again.  I believe in making an example of criminals as a warning to other who may try the same thing.

Karl on October 9, 2008 at 07:16 am

It makes people sick to hear about this but they won’t or feel they can’t do anything about it.  We see this so often.  Down with the all powerful nobles!  The “powers” want us to feel too helpless to buy a pitchfork.  None of them want to have a bunch of frustrated people on the streets with pitchforks.  They want us to feel that we have lost already, they want us to continue to submit.  Just imagine though, a bunch of angry people with lumps on their necks from the stress they have been under lately, carrying more than just a sign as they marched the streetswink


http://earthtoandrewjohn.blogspot.com/

Andrew_the_Aler on October 9, 2008 at 11:14 am

It makes people sick to hear about this but they won’t or feel they can’t do anything about it.  We see this so often.  Down with the all powerful nobles!  The “powers” want us to feel too helpless to buy a pitchfork.  None of them want to have a bunch of frustrated people on the streets with pitchforks.  They want us to feel that we have lost already, they want us to continue to submit.  Just imagine though, a bunch of angry people with lumps on their necks from the stress they have been under lately, carrying more than just a sign as they marched the streetswink


http://earthtoandrewjohn.blogspot.com/

Andrew_the_Aler on October 9, 2008 at 11:16 am
Avatar for Me Angry

I happen to work for a New York inherited wealth family and I have had to up my therapy to twice a week due to anger issues: the entitlement, the suspicion that I am a thief (I believe it was U2- a liar never believes anyone else), the abuse (too fat, too slow, not pretty enough, not young enough, “what are you, stupid?”, the racism… the realtor who was killed seems to be a good depiction of this demographic.  What do we do?  Who do we run to?  The rich have all the money, and truly, sorry not-rich folks, as I have witnessed, all of the power… I never wanted to believe it but it’s true. May G-d have mercy on us all.
The AIG people who abused the good will of the country at the spa weren’t the people I work for- but they were (metaphorically) the workhorses behind the people I work for.  How do we find balance and justice in this world?  Can Stephen Colbert make it right for all of us?

Me Angry on October 9, 2008 at 02:04 pm
Avatar for AIG Blog Relations

Earlier today, AIG announced an important policy change - one that we wanted to be sure you knew about.

A short time ago, our Chairman and CEO Ed Liddy said that he has ordered the immediate cancellation of all outside meetings, conferences, and recognition events across AIG, except those that are required by law or that are deemed absolutely critical to sustain our ongoing business needs.

Given AIG’s commitment to our customers, business partners, regulators, and American taxpayers, coupled with the new and very different challenges our company now faces, we take these responsibilities extremely seriously. Their trust is critical to our success. We recognize the need to be sensitive about all company expenditures.

As we move forward, we will continue to focus our efforts to pay back the $85 billion loan from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York as quickly as possible.

AIG Blog Relations on October 9, 2008 at 02:09 pm
Avatar for Rob in Upstate

Is this for real, Mr. AIG spokesperson? Is this press release supposed to make the $400,000 fade into distant memories. Do you honestly expect the Americn taxpayer to swallow this crap?

What am I saying? Of course you do.

Rob in Upstate on October 10, 2008 at 09:12 am
Avatar for Rob in Upstate

Is this for real, Mr. AIG spokesperson? Is this press release supposed to make the $400,000 fade into distant memories. Do you honestly expect the Americn taxpayer to swallow this crap?

What am I saying? Of course you do.

Rob in Upstate on October 10, 2008 at 09:13 am
Avatar for Rob Winike

Wowser, Mr. AIG Big Blog liar piss pants spokesman. Given AIG’s commitment to their customers, business partners, regulators, and American taxpayers, they really take these responsibilities extremely, really seriously, huh? So AIG recognizes the need to be really sensitive about all company expenditures. Really!?! House committee hearings showed AIG spent $440,000 at a luxury retreat for top earners! They spent that money only six days after an 85 billion dollar bailout? Really?!? Even the Mafia knows better than to spend that kind of money so soon after a heist. And what does it take to be a top earner at AIG these days? Did you sell your office furniture on Craig’s List? You spent $150,000 on banquets? Was your waiter Prince? You defended the retreat saying it was already planned before the bailout. That’s like saying go ahead with Grandma’s birthday party even though Grandma died three days ago. And you say you had to go on that retreat for “team building?” Here’s a good idea for team building. You know all those sacks that used to be filled with money? Why don’t you get in those and race! And really, then the Federal Reserve agreed to provide AIG with a second $37 billion loan on top of the original 85 billion dollar loan. Oh my God, are you serious? Oh my God! Are you really serious? It’s like you gave your junky cousin $100 for rent and then you ran into him at the dog track and gave him another $37 billion dollars! Oh yeah, we are going to trust everything you and King Shit Ed Liddy says, REALLY!

Rob Winike on October 10, 2008 at 02:55 pm
Avatar for Rob Winike

Wowser, Mr. AIG Big Blog l spokesman. Given AIG’s commitment to their customers, business partners, regulators, and American taxpayers, they really take these responsibilities extremely, really seriously, huh? So AIG recognizes the need to be really sensitive about all company expenditures. Really!?! House committee hearings showed AIG spent $440,000 at a luxury retreat for top earners! They spent that money only six days after an 85 billion dollar bailout? Really?!? Even the Mafia knows better than to spend that kind of money so soon after a heist. And what does it take to be a top earner at AIG these days? Did you sell your office furniture on Craig’s List? You spent $150,000 on banquets? Was your waiter Prince? You defended the retreat saying it was already planned before the bailout. That’s like saying go ahead with Grandma’s birthday party even though Grandma died three days ago. And you say you had to go on that retreat for “team building?” Here’s a good idea for team building. You know all those sacks that used to be filled with money? Why don’t you get in those and race! And really, then the Federal Reserve agreed to provide AIG with a second $37 billion loan on top of the original 85 billion dollar loan. Oh my God, are you serious? Oh my God! Are you really serious? It’s like you gave your junky cousin $100 for rent and then you ran into him at the dog track and gave him another $37 billion dollars! Oh yeah, we are going to trust everything you and Ed Liddy says, REALLY!

Rob Winike on October 10, 2008 at 02:59 pm
Avatar for Rob Winike

Wowser, Mr. AIG Big Blog spokesman. Given AIG’s commitment to their customers, business partners, regulators, and American taxpayers, they really take these responsibilities extremely, really seriously, huh? So AIG recognizes the need to be really sensitive about all company expenditures. Really!?! House committee hearings showed AIG spent $440,000 at a luxury retreat for top earners! They spent that money only six days after an 85 billion dollar bailout? Really?!? Even the Mafia knows better than to spend that kind of money so soon after a heist. And what does it take to be a top earner at AIG these days? Did you sell your office furniture on Craig’s List? You spent $150,000 on banquets? Was your waiter Prince? You defended the retreat saying it was already planned before the bailout. That’s like saying go ahead with Grandma’s birthday party even though Grandma died three days ago. And you say you had to go on that retreat for “team building?” Here’s a good idea for team building. You know all those sacks that used to be filled with money? Why don’t you get in those and race! And really, then the Federal Reserve agreed to provide AIG with a second $37 billion loan on top of the original 85 billion dollar loan. Oh my God, are you serious? Oh my God! Are you really serious? It’s like you gave your junky cousin $100 for rent and then you ran into him at the dog track and gave him another $37 billion dollars! Oh yeah, we are going to trust everything you and Ed Liddy says, REALLY!

Rob Winike on October 10, 2008 at 03:11 pm
Avatar for Rob Winike

Wowser, Mr. AIG Big Blog spokesman. Given AIG’s commitment to their customers, business partners, regulators, and American taxpayers, they really take these responsibilities extremely, really seriously, huh? So AIG recognizes the need to be really sensitive about all company expenditures. Really!?! House committee hearings showed AIG spent $440,000 at a luxury retreat for top earners! They spent that money only six days after an 85 billion dollar bailout? Really?!? Even the Mafia knows better than to spend that kind of money so soon after a heist. And what does it take to be a top earner at AIG these days? Did you sell your office furniture on Craig’s List? You spent $150,000 on banquets? Was your waiter Prince? You defended the retreat saying it was already planned before the bailout. That’s like saying go ahead with Grandma’s birthday party even though Grandma died three days ago. And you say you had to go on that retreat for “team building?” Here’s a good idea for team building. You know all those sacks that used to be filled with money? Why don’t you get in those and race! And really, then the Federal Reserve agreed to provide AIG with a second $37 billion loan on top of the original 85 billion dollar loan. Oh my God, are you serious? Oh my God! Are you really serious? It’s like you gave your junky cousin $100 for rent and then you ran into him at the dog track and gave him another $37 billion dollars! Oh yeah, we are going to trust everything you and Ed Liddy says, REALLY!

Rob Winike on October 10, 2008 at 03:14 pm
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