Wendelin Wiedeking is the Sir Fred Goodwin of Germany. Like Sir Fred, the unassuming-looking Mr Wiedeking once did great things, turning near-bankrupt Porsche into a hugely profitable company. Then his audacious takeover attempt of Volkswagen collapsed under the weight of its debts. Mr Wiedeking is now driving off with a €50m bonus, although schadenfreude may soon replace outrage: he could be dragged before the courts. Other German executives, such as Klaus Esser of Mannesmann, have faced judges over far smaller sums.
文德林•魏德金(Wendelin Wiedeking)就是德国的弗雷德•古德温爵士(Sir Fred Goodwin)。和弗雷德爵士一样，外表谦和的魏德金也曾有过丰功伟绩，将几近破产的保时捷(Porsche)转变为一家极具盈利能力的公司。之后，他大胆收购大众(Volkswagen)的尝试在债务重压下宣告失败。如今魏德金带着5000万欧元的丰厚奖金离去。不过，幸灾乐祸可能很快就会取代愤怒：魏德金有可能被告上法庭。其他几位德国高管，例如曼内斯曼(Mannesmann)的克劳斯•埃塞尔(Klaus Esser)，就曾因为小得多的奖金数额被诉诸法庭。