That'll teach 'em

I've blogged before about the billions of dollars regulators are getting out of banks and others for their dealings with Enron. http://guambatstew.blogspot.com/2005/08/we-did-nothing-wrong-mind-you-but.html Regulators also got settlements for payment of USD$1.4 billion from the big investment banks for ("alleged") conflicts of interest in their investment advice (with the same story, "I'm not saying I did anything wrong, but here's a cool Billion Dollars if you don't ask me any more").
What happens with all those billions? Well, that's one expensive education: "little of the money made its way into the hands of jilted shareholders. And most of it never will." (http://www.forbes.com/home/business/2005/08/29/spitzer-settlement-banks_cx_lm_0829spitzer.html)

And to add more to the kitty,: "KPMG will pay USD$456 million [arising out of its role in designing and marketing so-called abusive tax shelter schemes] and watch as nine former partners, including Jeffrey Stein, once the deputy chairman, face criminal charges... Earlier this year, KPMG settled the Xerox matter with the SEC, paying $23.5 million in penalties and interest ...." (http://www.iht.com/protected/articles/2005/08/29/business/norris.php) Of course, they didn't admit to any wrongdoing, either.


Not that there's anything wrong with that
http://www.cnn.com/SHOWBIZ/seinfeld/video/nothing.wrong.mov

Maybe all that cash is part of the "reservoir of cash waiting to gush into the stock market?" (http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05240/560835.stm)