They're still down from the peak of the bubble years but averaging nearly $129,000 for an annual bonus isn't too shabby. Especially when the 2009 profits are suspect. Remember, even during the peak of the bubble years, they were paid handsomely for selling what turned out to be trash which was wiped off the books. Wall Street never paid those bonuses back but they continued to accept shockingly high bonuses. Even a down year there is a comfortable year for many others.
Wall Street bonuses rose 17 percent to $20.3 billion last year, but were still a third down from the level before the financial meltdown, Thomas DiNapoli, New York State comptroller, told CNBC Tuesday.Yeah, about those "profits"...
Profits on Wall Street could exceed an unprecedented $55 billion for 2009 and the dollars generated by the industry help the state's bottom line, DiNapoli said.
However, he acknowledged that for the majority of Americans, the bonuses are a "bitter pill".
