> It’s impossible to say exactly how much the desire to influence politicians inflates their speaking fees.
Goldman is, as with all their investments, expecting a positive return. I'm not sure why this is presented as some kind of alternative theory.
And after it was removed, how much tax payers paid to GS and such in '08, what was the rough figure?
Goldman Sachs did not win from it. They were on the "protected" side of Glass-Steagall's wall. Fees went down after JPMorgan and friends were allowed to throw their balance sheet around.
And the answer is: over $7 trillion. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emergency_Economic_Stabilizati...
So yeah, $200k.
Only if you include monetary policy, directed by a Federal Reserve chairman appointed by George W. Bush, the same man who signed into law the bailout programme.
Goldman Sachs was far from the chief recipient of those funds and had to pay back the bail-out funds (at a profit to the U.S. government).