Rogue trader finds enlightenment on the way to court

By Aaron Patrick, Business Telegraph, Dec 22, 2004

Sydney, Australia -- A former trader at the heart of Australia's largest currency scandal will not hire a lawyer to defend himself against criminal charges, having abandoned capitalism for Buddhism.

David Bullen was this week notified that he would face 20 charges in relation to rogue trading that cost the country's largest bank, the National Australia Bank, A$360m (£142m). Nineteen of the allegations say he used his position intentionally or recklessly to gain advantage for himself. The other accuses him of obtaining a financial advantage by deception.

"I assume a case like this could last for at least a year but I'll just go with the flow," he said. "I am not at all nervous."

Mr Bullen was one of four currency option traders in the bank's Melbourne office who allegedly placed large bets against the US dollar which they hid from the bank's accountants.

He said this week he had "not intentionally done anything wrong". He has also published a tell-all book describing himself as part of a group a highly paid and poorly supervised men who took large risks with the bank's money.

After generating £17m profit for the bank in one year, the traders started "smoothing" their losses from one day to another to hide the risks they were taking, he wrote. A graduate trainee eventually raised the alarm.

"It was a source of great amusement between Mark [one of his supervisors] and me in particular how bad the systems and everyone around us were," he wrote. "We could take any risk in any amount we wanted and no one would be any the wiser."

The incident ended the career of chief executive Frank Cicutto, one of Australia's top businessmen, and led the financial regulator to place embarrassing requirements on the bank including "whistle-blowing" procedures.

Mr Bullen and his three colleagues were fired, and he moved to the country and took to promoting Buddhism over the internet.

Earning up to £142,000 for his financial skills while at the bank, Mr Bullen now argues that buying and selling goods is exploitative.

Explaining why a car should have no price, he writes: "The metal was taken from the earth as ore and smelt. The ore is free. The earth doesn't charge for it! ? Laws allow the elite to charge others for what is free." He has been ordered to appear in a Melbourne court on January 25. His three former colleagues, Luke Duffy, Vince Ficarra and Gianni Gray, have not revealed whether they too have been charged.
We Need Your Help to Train the
Buddhist AI Chat Bot
NORBU!
(Neural Operator for Responsible Buddhist Understanding)



For Malaysians and Singaporeans, please make your donation to the following account:

Account Name: Bodhi Vision
Account No:. 2122 00000 44661
Bank: RHB

The SWIFT/BIC code for RHB Bank Berhad is: RHBBMYKLXXX
Address: 11-15, Jalan SS 24/11, Taman Megah, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Phone: 603-9206 8118

Note: Please indicate your name in the payment slip. Thank you.


Dear Friends in the Dharma,

We seek your generous support to help us train NORBU, the word's first Buddhist AI Chat Bot.

Here are some ways you can contribute to this noble cause:

One-time Donation or Loan: A single contribution, regardless of its size, will go a long way in helping us reach our goal and make the Buddhist LLM a beacon of wisdom for all.

How will your donation / loan be used? Download the NORBU White Paper for details.



For Malaysians and Singaporeans, please make your donation to the following account:

Account Name: Bodhi Vision
Account No:. 2122 00000 44661
Bank: RHB

The SWIFT/BIC code for RHB Bank Berhad is: RHBBMYKLXXX
Address: 11-15, Jalan SS 24/11, Taman Megah, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Phone: 603-9206 8118

Note: Please indicate your purpose of payment (loan or donation) in the payment slip. Thank you.

Once payment is banked in, please send the payment slip via email to: editor@buddhistchannel.tv. Your donation/loan will be published and publicly acknowledged on the Buddhist Channel.

Spread the Word: Share this initiative with your friends, family and fellow Dharma enthusiasts. Join "Friends of Norbu" at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/norbuchatbot. Together, we can build a stronger community and create a positive impact on a global scale.

Volunteer: If you possess expertise in AI, natural language processing, Dharma knowledge in terms of Buddhist sutras in various languages or related fields, and wish to lend your skills, please contact us. Your knowledge and passion could be invaluable to our project's success.

Your support is part of a collective effort to preserve and disseminate the profound teachings of Buddhism. By contributing to the NORBU, you become a "virtual Bodhisattva" to make Buddhist wisdom more accessible to seekers worldwide.

Thank you for helping to make NORBU a wise and compassionate Buddhist Chatbot!

May you be blessed with inner peace and wisdom,

With deepest gratitude,

Kooi F. Lim
On behalf of The Buddhist Channel Team


Note: To date, we have received the following contributions for NORBU:
US$ 75 from Gary Gach (Loan)
US$ 50 from Chong Sim Keong
MYR 300 from Wilson Tee
MYR 500 from Lim Yan Pok
MYR 50 from Oon Yeoh
MYR 200 from Ooi Poh Tin
MYR 300 from Lai Swee Pin
MYR 100 from Ong Hooi Sian
MYR 1,000 from Fam Sin Nin
MYR 500 from Oh teik Bin
MYR 300 from Yeoh Ai Guat
MYR 300 from Yong Lily
MYR 50 from Bandar Utama Buddhist Society
MYR 1,000 from Chiam Swee Ann
MYR 1,000 from Lye Veei Chiew
MYR 1,000 from Por Yong Tong
MYR 80 from Lee Wai Yee
MYR 500 from Pek Chee Hen
MYR 300 from Hor Tuck Loon
MYR 1,000 from Wise Payments Malaysia Sdn Bhd
MYR 200 from Teo Yen Hua
MYR 500 from Ng Wee Keat
MYR 10,000 from Chang Quai Hung, Jackie (Loan)
MYR 10,000 from K. C. Lim & Agnes (Loan)
MYR 10,000 from Juin & Jooky Tan (Loan)
MYR 100 from Poh Boon Fong (on behalf of SXI Buddhist Students Society)
MYR 10,000 from Fam Shan-Shan (Loan)
MYR 10,000 from John Fam (Loan)
MYR 500 from Phang Cheng Kar
MYR 100 from Lee Suat Yee
MYR 500 from Teo Chwee Hoon (on behalf of Lai Siow Kee)
MYR 200 from Mak Yuen Chau

We express our deep gratitude for the support and generosity.

If you have any enquiries, please write to: editor@buddhistchannel.tv


TOP