Thursday, October 09, 2008

AIG and expensive spas



The AIG spa/massages story you have likely heard about isn't anything like the media has reported it. The media dropped the ball on this story, big time.

This even came up in the presidential debate!

Apparently, this conference was not attended by executives, but instead by high-earning insurance salespeople. Now I realize that even that looks terrible, but I for one have no problem with a company receiving bailout loans from encouraging their high earners to keep at it. In fact, that's just the sort of thing AIG should be doing.

http://www.usnews.com/blogs/the-inside-job/2008/10/8/aig-spa-trip-wait-thats-our-money.html

Now if it turns out that executives attended, then I went the money back, firings, and jail time if possible, at least as much as the next guy. But if what I have heard on CNN and read in the above link is correct, I just don't have any problem with this myself.

1 comment:

Bryan said...

Daniel,

As you know, I once worked for a scum-sucking insurance company as a financial adviser, which is fancy talk for salesman. And if the people who were on this retreat were salesman, then I agree with you. We were often promised cruises, trips, etc as sales incentives. The sales point was impossibly high, but they were promised. If these were rewards for high paying salesman, then I agree with you, you need to do what you have to do to retain your successful salespeople, because they are so hard to find and retain. If the trips were something else, like for executives, that's another matter.

Bryan