US Execs made millions from 9/11 attacks

Executives at leading US companies could make millions through the award of stock options issued in the weeks after the September 11 2001 terrorist attacks.

Nearly 200 US companies awarded options to their board members in the wake of the attacks when share prices were at historic lows, giving executives the chance to make millions of dollars later as values returned to normal levels.

Prominent companies including Black & Decker, Home Depot and United Health offered more than 500 executives stock options worth a total of $325m (£177m) in the last two weeks of September 2001.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/september11/story/0,,1822223,00.html