Publications

October 2018 (Revised January 2019)
Case

The Financial Crisis: Hank Paulson in 2008

By: Adi Sunderam, Robin Greenwood, Sam Hanson and David Scharfstein

On the afternoon of Monday October 13, 2008, Hank Paulson Jr., the Secretary of the Treasury of the United States, walked into the large conference room across the hall from his office in the Treasury Department. Joining him were Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke,... View Details

Keywords: Bailout; Regulation; Financial Crisis; History; Governing Rules, Regulations, and Reforms; Decision Making; Banking Industry; Financial Services Industry; Real Estate Industry; United States

15 Jul 2015
News

Greece bailout includes a €50 billion asset fund. Here’s how to avoid wasting it

Editorial

Greece Bailout Includes a €50 Billion Asset Fund. Here's How to Avoid Wasting It

By: George Serafeim

Keywords: Europe; Eurozone; Investing; Governance; Privatization; Investment; Corporate Governance; European Union; Europe

Read Now

01 Jun 2009
News

Too Big To Fail

advantage — hundreds of billions of federal bailout funds unavailable to smaller firms in financial trouble, says Moss. “That gives big, complex firms a dramatic advantage that is inappropriate,” he explains. Since last fall, there’s also... View Details

Keywords: Roger Thompson; federal bailouts; Credit Intermediation and Related Activities; Finance

October 2018 (Revised January 2019)
Case

The Financial Crisis: Timothy Geithner and the Stress Tests

By: Samuel G. Hanson, Robin Greenwood, David Scharfstein and Adi Sunderam

In February and March 2009, the U.S. economy was in the midst of a terrifying financial and economic crisis. Between the beginning of 2008 and early 2009, four of the 25 largest U.S. financial institutions had failed, and nine of these 25 institutions had taken... View Details

Keywords: Bailout; Regulation; Stress Test; Financial Crisis; History; Economy; Policy; Governing Rules, Regulations, and Reforms; Decision Making; Banking Industry; Financial Services Industry; Real Estate Industry; United States

01 Mar 2009
News

The Case for Studying Financial History

to fail. The distinction that needs to be made here is between systemic risk and a kind of arbitrary bailout scheme. Systemic risk we know from the Great Depression is very great if there are mass bank failures. If you lose thousands of... View Details

Keywords: Roger Thompson; federal bailouts; Finance; Administration of Economic Programs; Government

September 2018 (Revised January 2022)
Teaching Note

Hank and Nancy: The Subprime Crisis, the Run on Lehman and the Shadow Banks, and the Decision to Bailout Wall Street

By: Alberto Cavallo and Rafael Di Tella

Teaching Note for HBS No. 718-022. View Details

23 Apr 2010
News

Back to Basics on Financial Reform

July 2009 (Revised August 2011)
Case

What Happened at Citigroup? (A)

By: Clayton S. Rose and Aldo Sesia

What went wrong at Citigroup? In 1998, the Travelers Group and Citicorp merged to create Citigroup Inc., considered the first true global "financial supermarket" and a business model to be envied, feared, and emulated. By year-end 2006 the firm had a market... View Details

Keywords: Mergers and Acquisitions; Business Model; Decision Choices and Conditions; Globalized Firms and Management; Leadership; Risk Management; Failure; Financial Services Industry

14 Jan 2014
News

Mary Barra Brings Teaming to General Motors

February 2008 (Revised April 2009)
Case

Chronology of the Asian Financial Crisis

By: Laura Alfaro, Rafael Di Tella and Renee Kim

In July 1997, Thailand became the first Asian "tiger" economy to abandon its fixed exchange rate system in response to speculative attacks on its currency. Investors started to flee Asia, and the crisis rapidly spread to other countries. Central banks spent billions of... View Details

Keywords: Financial Crisis; Currency Exchange Rate; Central Banking; Policy; Crisis Management; Asia; Thailand

24 Feb 2009
News

Seven Lessons for Leading in Crisis

21 Dec 2009
Research & Ideas

Good Banks, Bad Banks, and Government’s Role as Fixer

the failure of many other large institutions. Most of the 600 institutions recapitalized by the federal government over the last year do not satisfy either criterion. A lot of bailout decisions were made ad hoc without a clear rationale.... View Details

Keywords: by Roger Thompson; Banking; Financial Services

November 2012 (Revised July 2013)
Case

Gerry Pasciucco at AIG Financial Products

By: Gautam Mukunda and Thomas J. DeLong

Gerry Pasciucco was appointed to lead American International Group's Financial Products (AIGFP) group after the government bailout of AIG in 2008 and charged with the task of shutting down the division while minimizing the government's losses. AIGFP's failed trades had... View Details

Keywords: Corporate Accountability; Ethics; Crisis Management; Financial Crisis; Management Teams; Business and Government Relations; Financial Services Industry; United States