In the past 25 years, the size of settlements, fines and penalties for individual corporations found guilty of wrongdoing has escalated from millions of dollars, to tens of millions, to hundreds of millions, to billions. Think Siemens and widespread bribery — about $2 billion. Or, bigger yet, think BP and the gulf disaster — almost $20 billion to date, with another $20 billion-plus likely in the future.
Why Are Some Sectors (Ahem, Finance) So Scandal-Plagued?
It’s not just a few bad apples; some entire bushels are tainted.
January 10, 2013