大象传媒

Just one year ago, Wall Street's bankers enjoyed widespread regard, even veneration, in American public life.

They were respected as people who understood the world of money, who'd led us into an era of unprecedented boom and easy credit, and who's financial wisdom would unerringly protect what savings we had from the challenges of economic flux.

Twelve months on the story is very different with many of those bankers having experienced a meterioric fall from grace.

So what's happened to our respect for the financial whizz-kids? Who exactly are these plutocrats? And how do they now see the world, now that the world has disowned them?

Ed Butler investigates.