Money, Power, Impunity: The Bankers Who Stole The World | 2008 Bank Crisis & Recession Documentary

Who are the men who stole the world, and got away with it? The Lehman Brothers, Goldman Sachs, all Wall Street titans - did they commit the perfect crime? They’re bankers, traders, investment funds executives. Frauds, lies, cons: 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 triggered the rise in extremism.

So who are they? This is a story about money, power and impunity. Ten years after the crisis, tongues finally begin to loosen. This documentary gives a voice to the banksters themselves, their relatives, the former “insiders” with whom they rub shoulders, to those who were in the eye of the storm. Through personal destinies, the film digs into the mechanisms that led them to cross the red line. It investigates what goes through their minds, how they ended up where they are, and how the system used some of them.

Beyond their extraordinary destiny unfolds the History of the downward slide of finance over the last fifteen years and its dramatic consequences for the public. This documentary will also try to answer two specific questions: After the 2008 crisis, were the real culprits condemned? And are such aberrations still possible?

This documentary was produced by Premiere Lignes and directed by Benoit Bringer. It was first released in 2018.

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[deebee]

Excellent investigative journalism. I recommend everyone to watch this at least twice, and become aware of what our financial institutions have in store for us.

[OpheliaPG]

And the criminals lived happily ever after…and the government continues to bail them out. We live in a mafia society.

[erinthesystem]

The only way these men could ever learn from this is if the entirety of their assets were confiscated. When money is all a person cares about, the only way to reach that person will be to affect them financially.
This was not done.

[mimi]

Not 1 Wallstreet executive went to jail... absolutely disgusting!!!

[gigsleymusic]

I honestly don't understand the American deference toward the billionaire criminals who are crashing American communities and commerce. It's truly amazing to watch. It shows how easily manipulated humans are and I don't have much hope that things will get any better. This is a corporatocracy we live in--not a democracy but a new form of fascism. Americans have proven themselves to be quite resistant to that fact.

[lauramcconney]

We keep calling this a crisis when in reality it the injustice of class criminals being allowed to escape consequences of their crimes against the lower classes facilitated by the big law firms they pay to manipulate the court system!!!

[honoriopadron]

I was a victim of this crisis from Merrill Lynch's failure. I was also a Director at a small bank in Chicago and saw it all happening. What the documentary did not cover enough was the immense pressure from the Federal Government to lend money's to non qualified applicants. This subprime game was turned into a social do good program by the Federal Gov, and that was part of the reason that bank executives were not brought to justice. An agressive prosecution scheme by the Feds would unraveled many politicians.
Very disappointed that the focus was only on Wall Street when yes, they executed, but the pressure and incentives from the Feds were really immense and near at a blackmail level. I was there!!!

[ambition]

14:48: 💰 Wall Street and politicians were complicit in creating the housing crisis through risky loans and financial innovations.
33:05: 💸 Wall Street culture of risk and excess led to unethical and illegal practices at Lehman Brothers.
40:17: 💰 The 2008 financial crisis was caused by greed and fraud in the financial industry, resulting in trillions of dollars of damage to the global economy. Despite large settlements, no major executives were held accountable.
53:37: 💰 The 2008 financial crisis did not teach the public and decision-makers anything, but the bankers learned that greed and misbehavior have no consequences.
Recap by Tammy AI with useful timestamps

[Noctural-Notions]

This is actually very frightening....
These hidden truths are astounding & to think that these monsters are still doing the same thing. What's to keep them from doing the same damn thing all over again. Sure looks like we are heading that direction now in 2023

[falconinflight]

Peace is not profitable. Wellness is not profitable. Righteousness is not profitable. Government for the people by the people is not profitable.

[JabberDay]

Can it happen again? What do you mean???? It IS happening again, even worse this time.

[insanegixxerdude]

People that have sound morals don’t destroy other people’s lives for their own power and personal gain. But yes, there is individuals that would do that. This guy was one of them.

[peacejen]

No wonder the world is in such a mess. Look what they caused, poverty all over . Greedy wolfs are dangerous . It's time "THEY" FALL. The system is sick.

[precognation]

Something people need to say to themselves before committing a financial crime is not "lots of people do it and get away with it and get a slap on the wrist" but "how much of an impact will it have on the economy if I go to jail and my company collapses?" People at the top know that they will get away with their crimes because they know the whole world will collapse without them.

[joetow]

Our government bailed these guys out with our tax dollars, none went to jail. These criminals are still doing this, and are still in government. We need to start prosecuting them and locking them up.

[pauldusa]

The banking gov system is killing the people of all Countries, I'm not rich but I am debt free retired no CC bal. with savings, I feel vey luckily to foresee the system making us all slaves more forward

[phyllislovelace]

Thank you, very well put together although the story being told is horrific.

[olguiq]

TOO bad they didn't let the banks fail. I SAID it then and will continue to say it... THEY should have failed and not bailed out for what they created. NO love loss.

[wk]

I guess money laundering act does not apply to banksters

[rogerwalker]

It never ceases to amaze me how these white collar criminals always pretend to grow a conscience after the fact, yet the victims are always the ones left to pick up the pieces and try to carry on as best as they can most of the time never being fully compensated for their losses it's just sickening.