The Men Who Stole the World (and got away with it)

They're bankers, traders, investment funds executives. They forgot all about morality to make money. The entire world had to suffer the consequences of their actions. They impoverished countries, drove millions of workers into unemployment, and contributed to the rise in extremism. So who are they? And, after the 2008 crisis, were the real culprits condemned? Could there be another?

Director: Benoît Bringer

[Alipotamus]

My father was a wonderful example. He worked hard to support his family of 8. He always said his job was a means to his end- Providing for us. He was humble yet always a leader. He was totally honest. He wouldn’t even bring a pencil home from work. He adored our mother and his morals were impeccable. I never heard him speak ill of anyone yet he held strong to his faith and his personal values. He and Mom were married 72 years. They had 6 children, 45 grandchildren and 101 greats when they died peacefully in their sleep-5 days apart. Men CAN choose between right and wrong. My father and mother did.

[damham]

It was investment firms and banks that caused the housing collapse in 2008, and its the bankers and investment firms who turned around and bought up millions of family homes on the cheap. Causing the housing crisis we have today.

[Gemini]

I am a retired mortgage specialist. It was a nightmare! I was working 60 hr weeks on millions of foreclosures. You're all right! These big banks and investors are evil, and Goldman Sachs was one of the main characters. It was horrendous, and some people did go to prison, but not everyone did. I mean, some people committed suicide. Horrific what these people did!

[terrencedavis]

"Judge a man by his questions rather than by his answers" - Voltaire

[roxannebrown]

People are still angry that no one was held accountable. We haven’t forgotten. We also know that because no one was held accountable it’s going on again right now.

[milky_joh]

Citigroup didn't cost the US Government 45 billion it cost the taxpayer

[lo-ammitruter]

He still lives like a king while the people who lost everything are still trying to recover.

[redacted]

If their are no consequences for wrongful actions then wrongful behaviours are reinforced, as can be seen (presently 2024).

[mojorising]

I worked in banking before the recession.
They stole our pension at Bank of America, some coworkers lost 6 figures lifetime worth of work/savings/investing in that company. I will never bank or work with them.

[cookielapaz]

The goal wasn't for everyone to own a home, the goal was for everyone to have a mortgage loan. Sixty years ago people paid cash for a home.

[swithers]

It seems that the only thing he is sorry about is that he went to jail while other (bigger) criminals got away scot-free.
It doesn't look like he lost everything ... he's wearing a mighty nice suit and sitting in a house that looks multiple time nicer than mine.
I agree that it is a crime that the other criminals got away unscathed. They should all be in prison. And none of them should be able to keep their ill-gotten gains. STOP making crime pay and maybe there wouldn't be so much of it! 🤔

[lukemckean]

I spent a year working in the USA in 2007 (I’m from Australia), every department store I went into offered me a credit card no questions asked. It was ridiculous.
Then I moved to NZ and was offered a $1 million home loan after explaining to the guy my pregnant wife was about to stop working indefinitely and I earnt $70k a year.
No wonder the whole thing collapsed

[GM-jvjz]

His father says he made a 'mistake'. No....it was not a mistake. He did it intentionaly.

[joeking]

*_"What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?"_*

[jharper]

These people got a trillion dollars of taxpayer money, to bail out their losses for irresponsible lending. Tons of people lost their homes, and were foreclosed on. Why didn’t all that money pay off their mortgages?

[marcuskelly]

Very nice home, cars, smart suits and very well fed. Other people expense and loss. These are toxic people.

[monkhasheart]

For all those who comment that those who took out fraudulent loans, sub-primes, can't complain because they deserved to loose their homes.... Millions of people lost jobs, had conventional/non sub-prime mortgages, and lost everything in the crash! This didn't just affect those specific borrowers. And if you were unlucky enough to be age 50 or older and laid off, you found it nearly impossible to find any work at all. All the homes foreclosed on are now part of the unaffordability crisis of today.

[tertiasmith]

It's such a way out for people to say they "made a mistake", when the words should be "I did something bad". There's a huge difference.

[ricardomurillo]

A wise man said: If you want to rob a bank the best way is to own one. A big one.

[AttorneyaidendurhamHELPLINE]

At this moment, things appear to be odd. Inflation is reducing the value of the US dollar, but it is strengthening in comparison to other currencies and commodities like real estate and gold. People are switching to the dollar because they believe it is safer. I worry that the rising cost of living may cause the value of my retirement savings to decline. We could put our cash anywhere else.