The Last Days of Lehman Brothers (2009 TV Movie)

Corey Johnson: Richard 'Dick' Fuld

Quotes 

• Richard 'Dick' Fuld : I want everyone on message about this: Our situation is serious, but it's not critical. I repeat, the situation is not critical. Bank of America wants us. Barclay's wants us. We can choose. and which ever we choose will fill us with new air. i need everyone to believe. YOU'RE ON THE THIRTY-FIRST FLOOR, GODDAMMIT! And I want this message to trickle downwards.

• Harvey Miller : [having been ordered by Dick Fuld to prepare a billion dollar bankruptcy petition over the weekend]  First of all, we don't have a team. Second, YOU don't have a team. Everyone's working on due diligence for the mergers. Third, nobody can put together a bankruptcy of this size in two days. And fourth, the government's not going to let you go down.

  Richard 'Dick' Fuld : Paulson's opening position is that we sink or swim.

  Harvey Miller : Are you kidding?

  [realizing that Fuld is serious] 

  Harvey Miller : It would be a financial disaster the likes of which the world has never seen before. It'd be like the American government itself going bankrupt. It would be like the US dollar being rendered worthless and everyone being told to start over with goats and pebbles. It would be like Rome selling the Vatican to the Japanese to make it a hotel, and hiring the Pope as a bellboy. It's just a fantasy. It's a through the looking glass world. It's something from the book of Revelations.

  Richard 'Dick' Fuld : And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and a hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.

• Bart McDade : [Telling Fuld that Hank Paulson is flying up from Washington]  He's calling a meeting with the banking chiefs.

  Richard 'Dick' Fuld : What for?

  Bart McDade : He wants them to bail us out.

  Richard 'Dick' Fuld : He wants our competitors to bail us out?

  Bart McDade : He wants us to go to the Fed. He doesn't want us in the meeting, he just wants us to be there. Waiting. Somewhere. I don't know.

  Richard 'Dick' Fuld : Is he kidding? I'm not going to the Fed to sit outside some goddamn boardroom while Paulson and my enemies decide my fate!

• Richard 'Dick' Fuld : [On the phone with Jamie Dimon of JP Morgan]  I can't give you more collateral! Not until we've had a chance to raise a bit more cap... We're under-capitalised, yes, like everybody and their... Jamie... Jamie. Jamie!

  [to Zac] 

  Richard 'Dick' Fuld : I need you up here today.

  [on the phone to Dimon] 

  Richard 'Dick' Fuld : Jamie... What do you want me to do? You want me to wire you, now, five bil... No, you're unreasonable! I've had Paulson up my ass all week, our stock's dropped 75% since Monday. We're in freefall! Everyone's dumping our stock! And you ask me for more...

  [to Zac] 

  Richard 'Dick' Fuld : Wait. Why is this phone ringing?

  [picks up the other phone] 

  Richard 'Dick' Fuld : Hello? Hi.

  [to Zac] 

  Richard 'Dick' Fuld : No. Get on the desk.

  [to Dimon] 

  Richard 'Dick' Fuld : Hold on. Jamie, I'll call you back. Yes, I know, I know, I know...

  [on the other phone] 

  Richard 'Dick' Fuld : Christ. You have no idea what... Yeah, I

  [to Zac] 

  Richard 'Dick' Fuld : These ribs are cold.

  [back on the 2nd call] 

  Richard 'Dick' Fuld : Go ahead.