Often seen as the face of greed in the financial crisis, Lehman Brothers CEO Richard Fuld has seen only negative press — he was even punched in the face while working out at a gym — for overseeing the investment bank before its collapse.
Fuld, 63, has spent the past year largely hiding out from protesters and the press. He recently opened a small financial-consulting firm in New York City that employs an aide and two assistants; a year ago he managed Lehman's 25,000 employees. Fuld has good reason to keep a low profile, having been named in close to 40 legal actions since Lehman's collapse and more than a dozen suits from former colleagues. Americans may at least be relieved to know he's cut back a bit since his financial world collapsed — in addition to selling expensive art and property after the bankruptcy, he's reportedly been flying Delta Airlines instead of chartering private jets. Not sure if that will help his reputation, Fuld told a Reuters reporter, "I've been pummeled, I've been dumped on, and it's all going to happen again. I can handle it. You know what, let them line up."