Sanford Weill (Citigroup) 2

Another corporate cutthroat, scoundrel and pirate who was forced out under a dark cloud. Amazing these overrated, overpraised robber barons are given such ultimate credit for achievement by presiding over cash cow companies that have done well for decades, even in soft economies. These companies would do well with just about any seasoned manager at the helm, but that doesn't stop the simplistic and reductive propaganda mill called the media to hype up some schlockmeister as Mr. Wizard. So few of these captains of industry started with nothing, so how can one be impressed with a CEO who takes a successful company and merely makes it more successful? Hardly earthshattering. Weill is of this school, in that his major contribution was to oversee the merger of Citigroup and Travelers, both of which were huge, successful concerns in their own right. This guy is just another preening peacock who didn't know what to do with the company once it became a monolithic behemoth, which is why he was shown the door. He'll make about $18 million in stock dividends next year, which strikes one as gross overcompensation for someone who didn't do a helluva lot, considering the resources he had at hand.