Goldman execs get millions from options

In similar options exercises and sales,President Gary Cohn exercised 73,653 options and had a 4.95 million profit,Chief Financial Officer David Viniar exercised 67,326 options and had a 4.52 million profit,and General Counsel Gregory Palm exercised 47,895 options and had a 3.22 million profit.

Goldman said the options were granted in November 2000 and scheduled to expire this November. It disclosed the transactions in U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filings.

Goldman is Wall Street8217;s most profitable bank. It earned just 453 million in its latest quarter,however,because it paid 550 million to settle U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission fraud lawsuit and 600 million to its City of London bankers because of a special UK bonus tax.

Shares of Goldman closed Friday down 1.34,or 0.9 per cent,at 148.08 on the New York Stock Exchange.