If there’s one thing that will make American taxpayers across the political spectrum breathe a collective sigh of relief, it’s this—we’re not paying for the single most expensive bank bailout in the world.
That honor may go to Ireland, where Anglo Irish Bank Corp. has reported €8.3 billion (US $10.6 billion) in losses on loans in the first half of 2010. The bank has received €23 billion (US $29.4 billion) in government aid since it was nationalized in 2009. The bank hopes to sell its loans to the state’s National Asset Management Agency, where such accounts are bought for 25%-60% of their original values.
While Anglo Irish doesn’t think the bailout will exceed €25 billion (US $32 billion), others estimate that it may end up reaching as high as €35 billion (US $45 billion).
If you’re a football fan, you’ve probably heard a thing or two about Troy Polamalu’s famous hair. Well, Head and Shoulders certainly have. They’re using the Samoan-descended NFL superstar’s lengthy locks to promote their brand and, in case of unforeseen hair trauma, they’ve insured it for $1 million.
The 29-year-old strong safety received his first haircut in 2000, on advice from his coach at the University of Southern California. The last haircut, however, was seven years ago, and the mass of hair spilling out of his helmet has become one of his most distinctive features. In fact, it’s been said that his whole head of hair, laid end to end, would stretch across 1,100 football fields.
The insurance policy was developed by Watkins Syndicate at Lloyd’s of London. It covers Polamalu’s hair for the entirety of the NFL season.
