Jump like it's 1929 - suicides of top bankers, stockbrokers

[financeguy]

Credit crunch banker leaps to his death in front of express train | Mail Online

Top Freddie Mac executive David Kellermann dead in suspected suicide - Times Online

‘Business Came First’ for ABN Amro Banker Found Dead (Update1) - Bloomberg.com

City party king, Anjool Malde, leaps to death from rooftop restaurant 'terrified he had lost his job' | Mail Online


Do these suicides in the financial services community stem from a lack of perspective on life?

 

[purpleoscar]

Ego-mania.

 

[Hobo13]

Cowards.

 

[AliEnvy]

I always liked Colin Powell's Rules.

1. It ain't as bad as you think. It will look better in the morning.

2. Get mad, then get over it.

3. Avoid having your ego so close to your position that when your position falls, your ego goes with it.

4. It can be done!

5. Be careful what you choose. You may get it.

6. Don't let adverse facts stand in the way of a good decision.

7. You can't make someone else's choices. You shouldn't let someone else make yours.

8. Check small things.

9. Share credit.

10. Remain calm. Be kind.

11. Have a vision. Be demanding.

12. Don't take counsel of your fears or naysayers.

13. Perpetual optimism is a force multiplier.

 

[deep]

in the ying/yang

there would be quite a few more.

 

[financeguy]

in the ying/yang

there would be quite a few more.

How do you mean?

 

[yolland]

Do these suicides in the financial services community stem from a lack of perspective on life?

More so than for anyone else who commits suicide?

I just read the other day about a study recently published in The Lancet, based on reviewing cause-of-death and job market data across the EU over 37 years, finding that for every 1% increase in unemployment, there's a 0.8% increase in suicide (with retention and retraining programs seeming to have some mitigating effects). Many people stake so much of their self-worth on their jobs, their professional reputations, their career accomplishments...not just powerful and wealthy people, either. You could maybe make a case that there's often a paradoxical lack of humility bound up in suicidal feelings, regardless of the situation; an exaggerated sense of one's own importance--or at least, what you imagine 'should' be your importance, if only you hadn't failed at this or that--ironically enabling equally real feelings of worthlessness, hopelessness, and self-loathing. But I don't personally feel well-placed to look down on anyone for that.

 

[financeguy]

More so than for anyone else who commits suicide?.

Possibly yes, because

Many people stake so much of their self-worth on their jobs, their professional reputations, their career accomplishments...not just powerful and wealthy people, either. You could maybe make a case that there's often a paradoxical lack of humility bound up in suicidal feelings, regardless of the situation; an exaggerated sense of one's own importance--or at least, what you imagine 'should' be your importance, if only you hadn't failed at this or that--ironically enabling equally real feelings of worthlessness, hopelessness, and self-loathing. But I don't personally feel well-placed to look down on anyone for that.

I would argue all of those factors are more present in high level banking, with the egoism, obsession with 'presenteeism' in the office, and obsession with money.

 

[Bluer White]

Ego-mania.

Losing someone else's money hurts. (losing your own hurts too.)

 

[AliEnvy]

Many people stake so much of their self-worth on their jobs, their professional reputations, their career accomplishments...not just powerful and wealthy people, either.

No words. Just shock and sadness.

Former 102.1 The Edge personality Martin Streek commits suicide - The Globe and Mail

 

[Pearl]

No words. Just shock and sadness.

Former 102.1 The Edge personality Martin Streek commits suicide - The Globe and Mail

I read that as some Edge impersonator killed himself, at first.

 

[financeguy]

I hope Bono is ok.

 

[AliEnvy]

I would argue all of those factors are more present in high level banking, with the egoism, obsession with 'presenteeism' in the office, and obsession with money.

Snippet from a leadership primer, again from Colin Powell.

"Elites can become so inbred that they produce hemophiliacs who bleed to death as soon as they are nicked by the real world."

 

[BVS]

Possibly yes, because



I would argue all of those factors are more present in high level banking, with the egoism, obsession with 'presenteeism' in the office, and obsession with money.

I disagree. With the exception of those that take their own lives due to health reasons, at least in my own experience of personally knowing those that have and those that have thought about or attempted, the underlying reasons are all very similar. I think you're right in saying it's a lack of perspective, and the perspective may be different, but it usually boils down to loss. The person has lost something they thought they may have had, and more importantly they feel they can never get it back. We've all experienced loss, but I think it's the perspective of feeling like you will never see it again that drives certain people to this point. Be it love, job, status, money, etc... It may not be everyone's favorite U2 song, but Bono's explanation of what 'Stuck in a Moment' meant was spot on.

 

[purpleoscar]

Losing someone else's money hurts. (losing your own hurts too.)

Yeah but many people don't have much money to lose and they don't kill themselves. It's all about reputation and how they think people see them. I hope they didn't have any families because that would be really devastating.

 

[VintagePunk]

No words. Just shock and sadness.

Former 102.1 The Edge personality Martin Streek commits suicide - The Globe and Mail

I caught up on Twitter earlier after a busy few days, saw that Alan Cross has posted about, but didn't know what happened till I read your link. So sad.