Another financial professional allegedly committed suicide in Manhattan on March 8th. Kenneth Bellando, who worked for Levy Capital, was found on the ground outside his Eastside apartment complex. Authorities reported that he jumped from a sixth-story roof to the pavement below.
This death was the eighth financial-related suicide this year, and the third in as many weeks.
Bellando is a former investment bank analyst with JP Morgan and the son of John Bellando, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer at Conde Nast. His brother John is a chief investment officer with JPMorgan who works on risk exposure valuations.
Eight financial-related deaths in only three months is more than a mere coincidence. Although the official cause of death has been labeled as “suicide,” it’s obvious that at least one of these deaths probably wasn’t self-inflicted.
One death in particular was very suspicious. Richard Talley, CEO of American Title Services in Centennial, Colorado was found dead in his garage by a family member… after taking seven shots from a nail gun in his head and torso. It seems there would be many other faster and less painful ways to end your life.
And there doesn’t seem to be a pattern or other similarities, besides each person being in the financial industry. These eight deaths have occurred in Europe, Asia and the United States; ages ranging from individuals in their 20s through their 50s… and professional ranks ranging from CEO all the way to junior investment bankers or traders.
One theory is that these financial professionals did a lot of unethical things to make the profits for their company, and they couldn’t live with the guilt. That’s what the Russia Today show The Resident offered as a possible cause:
But the only theory that really makes sense is from Jim Willie, editor of the Hat Trick newsletter. Willie says all these people were killed because they were being interviewed by prosecutors of possible bank and FOREX fraud. They were about to provide damning testimony against important people and/or institutions.
Whatever the reasons for all these deaths, it looks like something is rotten in the U.S. financial sector. Americans should be cautious about the health of the economy and their financial institutions in the months and years to come.
