長久以來, 美國投資銀行僱用權貴子弟, 是因為他【她】們的 "關係",而不是因為他【她】們的才能, 可以說眾所週知. 連勝文曾任職 Morgan Stanley 實在沒什麼值得訝異的事.
US expands China hiring probe to Morgan Stanley and Citigroup
PUBLISHED : Wednesday, 27 November, 2013, 11:36pm
UPDATED : Thursday, 28 November, 2013, 8:57pm
Ray Chan and Jeanny Yu
US authorities are expanding their probe into the hiring practices of American financial institutions, with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) now looking into whether Morgan Stanley and Citigroup hired children of well-connected mainland officials with an intent to win business.
The SEC has sent letters to Morgan Stanley and Citigroup in recent weeks to find out whether they have been giving money or other items of value to foreign officials to win business.
The SEC has taken action against seven companies this year for paying bribes or making other improper payments.
Morgan Stanley and Citigroup declined to comment.
Media reports in August said the SEC had filed a criminal and civil investigation into some of JPMorgan s hires, including the son of the chairman of financial conglomerate China Everbright Group and the daughter of a mainland railway official.
The US regulator has been looking into whether the bank s hiring of Communist Party leaders offspring in Hong Kong helped it to win deals from major state-owned enterprises and breached the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act in the process.
Facing regulatory pressures from the US government, JPMorgan pulled out of underwriting China Everbright Bank s US$2 billion share sale in Hong Kong.
JPMorgan has not been accused of wrongdoing and is co-operating with US authorities while making internal checks.
Morgan Stanley was early to spot China s economic promise, purchasing a stake in an investment bank in 1995. It now has more than 20 dedicated China investment bankers, the most among foreign banks, and has worked on some of the largest mainland IPOs in recent years.
It has become common practice for investment banks to hire people with government connections, especially true on the mainland due to the role the ruling Communist Party plays in the country s business.
The SEC and criminal prosecutors at the Justice Department are examining whether hiring practices violated the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, which bars bribes or special favours to foreign government officials in exchange for business.