You have the temerity to flag up the fact that the world’s biggest bank isn’t in tip top shape, and what do you get? Death threats, apparently.
Meredith Whitney, the CIBC analyst who prompted a slump in Citi shares last week by first suggesting the bank might have to cut its dividend, told the Times over the weekend that analysts were afraid to be negative because of a culture of intimidation on Wall Street, adding that she had had several death threats.
Ms Whitney, of course, is married to John Bradshaw Layfield, aka the former World Wrestling Entertainment champion Death Mask, now a Fox News business analyst.
Ms Whitney, Forbes’s second-highest ranked stock picker for 2007, told The Times:
People are scared to be negative, especially when a company has such a wide holding. Clients are not pleased with my call and I have had several death threats.
But it was the most straightforward call I’ve made in my career and I am surprised my peer analysts have been resistant. It’s so straightforward, it’s indisputable.
According to the New York Post, husband John was due to visit his native Texas, but canceled the trip at the last moment.
I just don’t want her to be alone this weekend. She tried to talk me into going, but if someone accosted her on the sidewalk or something, I don’t know what I would do,” Layfield said.