Recent Blog Posts
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Smoking Lingerie Leads to Lawsuit
Nov 23 20093:11 pm EDT -
Oops
Nov 23 200912:01 am EDT -
The Era of the Renminbi Is at Hand
Nov 20 20092:55 pm EDT -
Computer Glitch Snarls Air Traffic
Nov 19 200910:29 am EDT -
Dollar Doldrums? What Dollar Doldrums?
Nov 19 20098:48 am EDT -
American Express Makes a Revolutionary Deal
Nov 18 200912:05 pm EDT -
Calpers Puts Pressure on Private Equity Funding and Fees
Nov 18 200910:27 am EDT -
Madoff Makes Millions (for Others)
Nov 18 20096:04 am EDT -
Lazard Looks Within Its Ranks for New Chief
Nov 17 20091:44 pm EDT -
A Brutal Morning for Geithner
Nov 17 20098:02 am EDT
Dear Jerome Kerviel,
They come from all corners of the world--Antigua, Turkey, Los Angeles, and France, to name a few. They come to Facebook to search for, poke, mock, befriend, and throw their support behind Jerome Kerviel, the rogue trader who allegedly orchestrated $7.1 billion in losses for Societe Generale.
As of this writing, there are seven clubs devoted to Kerviel. The biggest, with more than 1,000 members is called (loosely translated from French) "Those who are looking for Jerome Kerviel, the man worth 4.9 billion." There's a Jerome Kerviel FanClub, with 394 members and "Jerome Kerviel should be awarded the Nobel Prize in Economics," with 236 members. Alas, the "Jerome Kerviel for Southampton Manager" club has so far attracted just two members.
The comments (or "Wall Posts" in Facebook-speak) range from the supportive ("Go Jerome, search your next target, I support you!" from Manu in Germany) to the lustful ("It's those dark brooding eyes.... the money helps too, I hope he gets to keep every penny," says Helen in Brighton and Hove) to the outright envious ("I have to admit... I am rather jealous that this frog ended up beating my record... oh well, what can you do...," says someone calling himself Brian Hunter, who is a fellow rogue trader).
There are five individual profiles that come up when searching for Jerome as well, but the real Kerviel profile was removed this morning, after most of his 11 friends abandoned him during the past 24 hours. At least we now know he's not living in a hole cut off from society.
No word yet on how much longer the unfortunately named Jerome Keriolaine will be able to endure keeping his profile up.
The Jerome Kerviel attention is popping up elsewhere on the web as well. The chap who bought up Jeromekerviel.com will begin posting blog items soon, but in the meantime, he's reaching out to advertisers ("Possibilities include advertising Financial Services, Books, Business Seminars, Economics subjects, Film, TV, documentary or other business related links").
That entrepreneur is a bit behind the folks at roguefrenchbanker.com (Sacre bleu!), who are raking it in with Google ads already.
All this, on Day Number Two. Something tells us the fun has just begun.
by Megan Barnett
