皇家苏格兰银行前首席执行官弗里德·古德温爵士（Sir Fred Goodwin）因被曝在银行行将倒闭之时还在搞婚外恋而受到公众质疑。Maryam Omidi分析了这段婚外情到底涉不涉及公共利益。
皇家苏格兰银行是一家英国银行，在2008年金融危机其间靠纳税人资金救市才摆脱破产的命运。其前首席执行官弗里德·古德温爵士后来因为被曝在银行行将倒闭之时还在和一位高级主管搞婚外恋而受到公众的强烈质疑。当古德温发现一家小报准备曝光这件丑闻后，他从法院获得了“超级禁制令”，禁止媒体对此做出任何报道，也不能报道禁令的存在。
2011年5月，自由民主党的上议员斯通汉姆勋爵（Lord Stoneham）利用其议会特权把古德温逐出了上议院，这条“超级禁制令”也得到部分解除。不过媒体依然不能指名道姓地说出婚外恋的女主角是谁。皇家苏 格兰银行对于私人恋爱关系的规定要求雇员如果发现“利益冲突”，应当向经理汇报。然而并不清楚古德温当时是否将此事告知了其他经理。
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Did the newspaper editors who ran the story honestly believe Goodwin’s affair had a bearing on his ability to manage a bank – thus making it a matter of public interest? I doubt it. Were these editors 100% certain the story would sell? Absolutely!
RBS failed so spectacularly largely because it bought a Dutch bank in a deal that sent its exposure to complicated structured debt products through the roof. The FSA’s report into the failure of the bank revealed some jaw-dropping details on management’s understanding (or lack of) of the markets the bank was operating in. Goodwin can be, and should be, taken to task over this (as should the other bankers and executives in senior positions who failed to manage their books).
But unless Goodwin’s mistress was a mole for ABN Amro, who gently whispered the endless possibilities of a merger into his ear, his extra-marital dalliances are neither here nor there.