How to stop being Facebook friends with that guy who lost $7 billion

Nicholas Carlson — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 19:00:13 EST

After Jerome Kerviel lost his employer, French investment bank Societe Generale, $7.2 billion, he also lost 7 of his 11 friends on Facebook. Smart move by those ex-friends. You never know who's looking at your profile. Of course, at some point, you might be in a similar situation. Because this kind of thing happens all the time. So here's how to defriend that guy who just went into hiding after losing $7.2 billion. You're welcome.

Click where the red arrow points.
Type the fraudster's name where the red arrow points. Then press enter.
Click where the red arrow points.

Losing $7 billion costs trader seven Facebook friends

Nicholas Carlson — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 17:00:36 EST

Jerome Kerviel allegedly defrauded France's Societe Generale out of $7.2 billion by falsifying trading records so he could make unauthorized trades. It cost the 144-year old firm nearly a year's worth of net profits. But the Sydney Morning Herald has the real scoop.

When [Kerviel's] identity was revealed in the afternoon, he had 11 friends listed on the Facebook social website. That number later dropped to four.

It's the kind of news we should all take a moment to reenact in our minds.

You're at work. You're poking around the Internet. Bloip, an IM from your friend. It contains a link to a WSJ story. You click. You read about some guy losing $7.2 billion. You think: Wow, what an asshole. You look at his picture. He looks familiar. You look at his name. You look at his picture. You look at his name. You remember the limp handshake and exchanging business cards in June. You think #$#@!.

Gawker: valleywag, societe generale

How to stop being Facebook friends with that guy who lost $7 billion

Losing $7 billion costs trader seven Facebook friends