(WSJ) Libya’s Goldman Sachs Dalliance Ends in Losses, Acrimony

Posted by Kendall Harmon

In early 2008, Libya's sovereign-wealth fund controlled by Col. Moammar Gadhafi gave $1.3 billion to Goldman Sachs Group to sink into a currency bet and other complicated trades. The investments lost 98% of their value, internal Goldman documents show.

What happened next may be one of the most peculiar footnotes to the global financial crisis. In an effort to make up for the losses, Goldman offered Libya the chance to become one of its biggest shareholders, according to documents and people familiar with the matter.

Negotiations between Goldman and the Libyan Investment Authority stretched on for months during the summer of 2009. Eventually, the talks fell apart, and nothing more was done about the lost money.

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Filed under: * Economics, PoliticsEconomyCorporations/Corporate LifeCurrency MarketsStock MarketForeign Relations* International News & CommentaryAfricaLibya

1 Comments
Posted May 31, 2011 at 5:10 pm [Printer Friendly] [Print w/ comments]



1. Nikolaus wrote:

Admittedly my losses were only in the magnitude of 50% but my broker sure never offered any compensation to me!!

May 31, 7:11 pm | [comment link]
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