Lehman Brothers fell 5.2 percent to $16.40 before the official open this morning, and 24 percent this week. Obviously, that’s got to hurt, almost as much as the comparisons to Bear Stearns. But while Big Daddy Cayne’s preferred method of blowing off steam would’ve been to blow off smoke (often times setting off the sprinkler system to the extent that employees began keeping extra sets of clothes at the office), I think we all know Dick Fuld’s mode of chillaxing these past few days has been less of an herbal remedy than an electronic one.

When Richard Fuld, chief executive of Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc., couldn’t control his addiction, he took drastic measures. In October, he had the game BrickBreaker taken off his BlackBerry. “I was playing so much,” says Mr. Fuld, who had used it to relax on the plane or in the car. He missed it so much, though he had it reinstalled.

Which of course begs the question, in what order did it happen– hours of thumb-fracturing BrickBreaker as a means of coping with an LEH pounding, OR a spate of responsibility-shirking 9-5′s spent in the handicapped bathroom in an attempt to break 30,000 which led to said assault?

Comments (38)

  1. Posted by guest | July 11, 2008 at 10:59 AM

    Please. While the events at LEH are troubling, to say the least, that BrickBreaker story from the WSJ is at least two years old.

  2. Posted by guest | July 11, 2008 at 11:00 AM

    Ok fine. 18 months.

  3. Posted by guest | July 11, 2008 at 11:03 AM

    February 17, 2007. Sounds like around 17 months rather than at least 2 years.

  4. Posted by guest | July 11, 2008 at 11:05 AM

    jeeeeeeeeeeeeeeez, relax guys, it’s Friday!!!

  5. Posted by beentheredonethat | July 11, 2008 at 11:06 AM

    No matter how stale the story, its just plain stupid.

  6. Posted by guest | July 11, 2008 at 11:08 AM

    No whats stupid is level 16…fucking wall

  7. Posted by guest | July 11, 2008 at 11:10 AM

    someone is a litle sensative when it comes to LEH huh??

  8. Posted by FUNdamental | July 11, 2008 at 11:12 AM

    Open question – better or worse than jerking off in the handicapped stall? I mean not as gross, but the payoff at the end would be better….and probably much quicker to crank one out I’d imagine?

  9. Posted by guest | July 11, 2008 at 11:13 AM

    Was posted by Fuld, in between brickbreaker sessions

  10. Posted by cheesedog | July 11, 2008 at 11:17 AM

    I prefer the Cayne/Fuld/Vikram combo. I like to smoke a blunt, play some Brickbreaker, then eat some Count Chocula. Ahhh summertime.

  11. Posted by guest | July 11, 2008 at 11:20 AM

    Fuld’s son is no better. I was with him in Middlebury.
    it runs in the family.

  12. Posted by guest | July 11, 2008 at 11:31 AM

    FUNdamental @11:12
    Jerking off is only fun if there’s KY around.
    Remember — before you beat it you better lube it first. It’s a blessing not a curse.
    Besides, it is hard for Fuld, or anybody, to jerk off when in the plane with its tiny plane toilets. Unless you’re flying the companies G-5

  13. Posted by blndebnker | July 11, 2008 at 11:40 AM

    Don’t hold back, Bess. It’s a Friday and these whiny snots want to ruin the kitschy dealbreaker delightfulness of a CEO’s videogame addiction. Go back to losing money and not printing it at LEH, clowns.

  14. Posted by girl | July 11, 2008 at 11:47 AM

    Hey Bess?
    I really appreciate your thought leadership on this issue. Seriously, they should effing write up your thought leadershipness on crackberry addicts, i think it would help alot of people.

  15. Posted by girl | July 11, 2008 at 11:54 AM

    I don’t mean to toot my own horn (by which I mean, its my favorite fucking pastime) but you’re right, Bess. I’ve been absurdly on point about this crackberry-Fuld connection. You’re wiseness in pointing out my brilliance brings tears to my cold, dead eyes.
    ps I love you

  16. Posted by guest | July 11, 2008 at 11:57 AM

    Bess + Girl = major wood

  17. Posted by guest | July 11, 2008 at 11:58 AM

    Wait, does that mean that girl has met with Bess?
    And what was that about f*ing with a horn… Do you need help in that area?

  18. Posted by guest | July 11, 2008 at 12:01 PM

    Whatever Bess everyone and especially their mother has some sort of substance “abuse” problem…its just how we’re all wired. There’s really no obvious downside to being a crackberry junkie and if that’s how he chooses to release his compulsion, DickFold is in pretty good shape and I’d say this is non-news.
    Now if he was jerkin it in the handicapped stall (like FUN is doing right now) or if he likes a giant fist in his ass (like the one in Sam Israel right now) or if he’s a dick in the popcorn at the movies type of guy…etc…

  19. Posted by guest | July 11, 2008 at 12:02 PM

    He, he, Bess just said that girl had a full hand in her thing.
    Love you Bess. Would you marry me? You can bring girl along.

  20. Posted by guest | July 11, 2008 at 12:06 PM

    “Whatever Bess everyone and especially their mother has some sort of substance “abuse” problem…its just how we’re all wired. There’s really no obvious downside to being a crackberry junkie and if that’s how he chooses to release his compulsion, DickFold is in pretty good shape and I’d say this is non-news.”
    seriously, are you retarded? read the response at 11:13AM– NO ONE WAS SAYING THIS WAS NEWS.

  21. Posted by guest | July 11, 2008 at 12:07 PM

    Did anyone else make a mess on their keyboard?

  22. Posted by guest | July 11, 2008 at 12:08 PM

    Girls of Dealbreaker Calender 09′
    we’ll do the shoot in the valley (LA) at Rocco Siffredi’s.
    solicitation for angel investors.
    and no Carney, you may not dress up as a fireman.
    -retail

  23. Posted by girl | July 11, 2008 at 12:12 PM

    @ Bess,
    I concur. If the financial blogospohere were a ho, together we’d superman that dirty ho with our thought leadership on this shit.
    We are the best thing since slice bread, peanut butter and jelly, and the Jasian race combined.
    Question– when we have staring contests, do you agree that it’s almost kind of pointless because we could both stare into each other’s brains for hours on end?

  24. Posted by miami | July 11, 2008 at 12:16 PM

    Fireman? Carney’s dressing up as Bernanke….everyone knows this.

  25. Posted by NSD | July 11, 2008 at 12:16 PM

    @12:01 – nero played a fiddle, jimmy c played bridge and fuld played his blackberry.

  26. Posted by guest | July 11, 2008 at 12:19 PM

    Carney,
    Aren’t you supposed to be sending lunch to someone on Fridays? I think Bess should be personally delivering some Champagne and strawberries (with whip cream) to girl. Followup story on Monday.

  27. Posted by guest | July 11, 2008 at 12:24 PM

    1,350,000+ here. Then I started dying often when it went balls-to-the-wall so I killed off all of my remaining lives. I wanted to hit that 5M though.

  28. Posted by guest | July 11, 2008 at 12:28 PM

    Why are all of you toolboxes always drooling over Bess? She has def writing talent, but any photographic evidence that she is appealing to the eye? The way you guys talk you couldn’t get laid in a whorehouse with a fistfull of hundreds

  29. Posted by guest | July 11, 2008 at 12:31 PM

    @12:28– in person evidence.

  30. Posted by guest | July 11, 2008 at 12:33 PM

    1231, where? I gotta meet this chick

  31. Posted by Johnny | July 11, 2008 at 12:36 PM

    Bess doesn’t show up anywhere in person. Don’t you know she uses body doubles for public appearances..?

  32. Posted by HAM05 | July 11, 2008 at 12:39 PM

    12:33 – dude photographic proof is old news. sorry to out you bess:
    http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x150/seeramaiste1/JessicaRabbit.jpg

  33. Posted by guest | July 11, 2008 at 12:40 PM

    @12:28 – thanks for playing along. Interesting analogy – personal experience?

  34. Posted by guest | July 11, 2008 at 12:41 PM

    @12:33– 2A

  35. Posted by guest | July 11, 2008 at 12:48 PM

    @1240, I ALWAYS get laid in a whorehouse with a fistful of hundreds. Ask your mom or sister, they’ll confirm

  36. Posted by guest | July 11, 2008 at 1:06 PM

    @12:48. Still enjoying 8th grade? Too bad you’re the only one who has to pay.

  37. Posted by beentheredonethat | July 11, 2008 at 1:17 PM

    Fistful? I bring a wheelbarrow….

  38. Posted by guest | July 11, 2008 at 2:53 PM

    I don’t bring money to a whorehouse I print it there

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