ABSTRACT
In late 2008, the American International Group (AIG) received a government bailout of $182 billion, the largest corporate bailout in history, to ward off a financial collapse (Greider, 2010). Yet, despite posting a loss of $61.7 billion in the fourth quarter of that year – also the largest loss in corporate history – it was revealed in March, 2009, that AIG had already paid out $165 million in bonus pay to executives. This pay was part of a larger bonus plan approximated at $450 million, much of which was scheduled to go to those in the financial services division – the unit that caused the massive losses for the corporation (Raum, 2009). Executives and employees who were scheduled to testify in a congressional hearing on the matter began receiving anonymous written and verbal threats at personal emails and phone numbers. The following are among the countless received (Pergam, 2009) 1 :
“The Revolution is coming. The family members of your executives are not safe. Your blood will run through the streets in the coming month”
“If the bonuses don’t stop, it will be very likely that every CEO @ AIG has a bulls-eye on their backs”
“All the executives and their families should be executed with piano wire around their necks – my greatest hope”
