Jimmy Cayne: In his own words

"I felt nothing. You got a bad grade on your test. That's it. No appeal. I felt sad for me and sad for my Bear Stearns family."

On March 15, Cayne voted along with rest of the Bear board for the now infamous $2-a-share stock deal with J.P. Morgan rather than allow the firm to be liquidated beginning Monday morning. He also voted for the revised $10-a-share deal a week later, likewise to avoid another serious threat of liquidation.

NEXT: Bear's implosion