Oh The Humanity . . . From $1B to Only $61M


James "Jimmy" Cayne, chairman of Bear Stearns Cos., sold his shares in the crippled securities firm for $61 million this week, before a vote on the company's pending takeover by JPMorgan Chase & Co.

Cayne sold 5.66 million shares at $10.84 apiece Tuesday, according to a regulatory filing. His stake's value had plunged from almost $1 billion last year, when the shares peaked at $171.50 before the sub-prime meltdown toppled two of the firm's hedge funds and prompted a contraction in credit markets worldwide