For those of you interested in knowing just how our current economic hiccup has affected stock investors, look no further than the very CEOs who played a role in this mess. 

These chief executives receive a large part of their compensation in the form of company stock. This chart from the New York Times, dated September 21, 2008, illustrates how much value these CEOs have lost in their stock ownership (not including stock options) in the last couple of years.  I listed the names and stock values below.

As you review these names and the diminished value of their stock ownerships, take into account the risk of having a large share of your wealth in the stock market.  I have always written that that’s a bad strategy and that some of your money should always be invested in tangible assets like real estate.  The numbers below should drive home the point that, because stocks are effectively paper assets, they can lose value literally overnight:

LLOYD C. BLANKFEIN, C.E.O., Goldman Sachs

JANUARY 2007: $405.6 million

SEPTEMBER 19, 2008: $291 million

VIKRAM S. PANDIT, C.E.O., Citigroup (Started in December 2007)

JANUARY 2008: $31.7 million

SEPTEMBER 19, 2008: $22.6 million

JAMES E. CAYNE, Former C.E.O., Bear Stearns

JANUARY 2007: $1.06 billion

SEPTEMBER 19, 2008: $61.2 million

CHARLES O. PRINCE III, Former C.E.O., Citigroup

JANUARY 2007: $89 million

SEPTEMBER 19, 2008: $33.2 million

RICHARD S. FULD JR., C.E.O., Lehman Brothers

JANUARY 2007: $827.1 million

SEPTEMBER 19, 2008: $2.3 million

MARTIN J. SULLIVAN, Former C.E.O., American International Group

JANUARY 2007: $3.2 million

SEPTEMBER 19, 2008: $173,000 

MAURICE R. GREENBERG, Former C.E.O., American International Group

JANUARY 2007: $1.25 billion

SEPTEMBER 19, 2008: $49.6 million (Doesn’t include shares transferred from direct ownership into trust)

RICHARD F. SYRON, Former C.E.O., Freddie Mac

JANUARY 2007: $10.6 million

SEPTEMBER 19, 2008: $130,000

KENNETH D. LEWIS, C.E.O., Bank of America

JANUARY 2007: $153.7 million

SEPTEMBER 19, 2008: $111.6 million

JOHN A. THAIN, C.E.O., Merrill Lynch (Started in December 2007)

JANUARY 2008: $28.5 million

SEPTEMBER 19, 2008: $16 million

JOHN J. MACK, C.E.O., Morgan Stanley

JANUARY 2007: $224.6 million

SEPTEMBER 19, 2008: $80.4 million

SANFORD I. WEILL, Former C.E.O., Citigroup

JANUARY 2007: $914.9 million

SEPTEMBER 19, 2008: $342 million

DANIEL H. MUDD, Former C.E.O., Fannie Mae

JANUARY 2007: $26.5 million

SEPTEMBER 19, 2008: $476,000

JAMES DIMON, C.E.O., JPMorgan Chase

JANUARY 2007: $197.1 million

SEPTEMBER 19, 2008: $203.7 million

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