‘Goldman Chief’s $9 Million Bonus Seen by Some as Show of Restraint’

      –Headline in the New York Times

(The Goldman Sachs Compensation Committee Talks to Lloyd C. Blankfein About His 2009 Bonus)

“With you in charge, we found a way
To merchandise as Triple A
Investments (solid as a rock)
Securities we knew were shlock.
Demands we put on AIG
In retrospect could prove to be
The straw that brought about, perhaps,
That corporation’s near collapse
And started all this awful mess.
And yet, through chutzpah and finesse
You’ve steered us through the risks greed poses.
We came out whole; we smell like roses.
To lead the big dog of The Street
Nine million’s simply too petite.
Nine’s not enough for you. It ain’t!”

“Nine’s fine. I’d rather show restraint.”

“But nine is surely not enough
For living well. Things could get rough.
To buy a decent co-op it’ll
Most certainly be much too little.
You know (you once got sixty-eight)
That nine cannot buy real estate
That’s big enough or has a view
That wouldn’t just embarrass you.
The houses not beyond your means
Resemble basements at Filene’s.
The yacht nine million dollars buys
Is not a yacht of any size.
And think of how The Street would snigger
If Jamie Dimon’s yacht were bigger.
Here’s millions more. Just nod and sign.”

“I’d rather show restraint. Nine’s fine.”