Citadel’s Griffin Slams SVB Bailout: American Capitalism Is “Breaking Down Before Our Eyes”, by Tyler Durden

Actually, American capitalism broke down long ago. However, the days are numbered for what’s left of it. From Tyler Durden at zerohedge.com:

In contrast to billionaire Bill Ackman’s praise for the federal government’s bailout of SVB depositors, Citadel founder Bill Griffin is not impressed, telling The FT that this action by US regulators shows American capitalism is “breaking down before our eyes”.

As a reminder, the FDIC’s Deposit Insurance Fund normally guarantees up to $250,000 in deposits, which protects small retail customers including mom-and-pop businesses. Banks pay for this guarantee with insurance premiums, but the insurance fund isn’t intended to backstop deposits of bigger customers with more capacity to weather losses if a bank goes under.

Yet, as The Wall Street Journal’s Editorial Board remarks, after venture capitalists (Democratic donors) and Silicon Valley politicians howled, the FDIC on Sunday announced it would cover uninsured deposits at SVB and Signature Bank under its “systemic risk” exception.

Apparently, Silicon Valley investors and startups are too big to lose money when they take risks. They benefited enormously from the Fed’s pandemic liquidity hose, which caused SVB’s deposits to double between 2020 and 2021. SVB paid interest of up to 5.28% on large deposits, which it used to fund loans to startups.

But now the FDIC is guaranteeing a risk-free return for startups and their investors.

Uninsured deposits normally take a 10% to 15% hair cut during a bank failure. Some 85% to 90% of SVB’s $173 billion in deposits are uninsured. The cost of this guarantee could be $15 billion.

The White House says special assessments will be levied on banks to recoup these losses.

That means bank customers with less than $250,000 in deposits will indirectly pay for this through higher bank fees. In other words, this is an income transfer from average Americans to deep-pocketed investors.

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One response to “Citadel’s Griffin Slams SVB Bailout: American Capitalism Is “Breaking Down Before Our Eyes”, by Tyler Durden

  1. Bankster Banana Republic

    Nothing changed since 2008 and the Bolshevik Banksters own the former USA lock stock and barrel.
    Consequences and comeuppances will come externally.
    Outside of the 3000 mile rainbow sideshow freak Circus.

    Like

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