Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Nick Leeson ebay items







Nick Leeson teamed up w/an autograph dealer in the UK to offer various signed items listed currently on ebay with some, perhaps all, proceeds going to charity (can't tell clearly from listing).  I couldn't resist buying the above photo where he signed it "Who's Next?" knowing that there is an endless parade of individuals and entities who take on too much risk and are due for their own blow ups.

 Other phrases he signed items with are:
"NEVER AGAIN, THERES ONLY ONE ROGUE TRADER, ONE HELL OF A JOURNEY, WHO'S NEXT, NOBODY WILL FOLLOW THAT, and a very small amount of HOW LONG WILL YOU BE STAYING SIR? SIX AND HALF YEARS! which relates to Nick Leesons sentence!"

Here's a link to a print being offered
Nick Leeson Limited Edition signed autograph print Rogue Trader With Quotes

And also some signed court room sketches which are even a bit fringe for a history buff like myself
Nick Leeson Rogue Trader Signed Autograph Sketches From His Trial

I've remained extremely intrigued w/Leeson's story since I read of it in a TIME magazine during my freshman year of high school at a Kansas coffeeshop and hope to meet him for a pint someday.  (Nick if you're reading, email me!)  It's an unpopular opinion but I've got quite a lot of respect how he has confronted what happened, served his time in prison, beat cancer brought on by the stress of his situation and in general gotten on in life as best as possible.  What happened at Barings was clearly brought upon by his decisions but I can understand some of the circumstances which overwhelm in the markets although clearly nothing remotely on that scale. 

Probably mentioned this previously but I've got a couple Barings SIMEX jackets which were worn by his clerk YVE and his lead filling broker DIN.