They've called it the $30bn speech - that's the value wiped off shares in top US companies in the minutes after President Obama announced on Thursday that he was to introduce measures to reduce the size of financial institutions and limit their ability to take on risk.

Almost without exception, big bank shares headed south on the news, with stock in Goldman falling some 8% Thursday and Friday. But Goldman staff are doubtless delighted at the effect Obama's statement had on the firm's shares, as the award price used for calculating the number of shares that go into individual bonus packages (as deferred equity) is thought to have been based on Friday's close. In other words, thanks to the President's obsession with bankers and their bonuses, Goldman staff will actually receive around 8% more stock in their bonus sacks than they would have before he opened his mouth. Such is The Law of Unintended Consequences.

One banker told Here Is The City: 'How ironic! And it would have to be Goldman, wouldn't it ? What were the odds on Obama making his bank-hating pitch at such a key time in the firm's bonus cycle ? The President has just awarded all Goldman staff a nice little bonus bonus. If he keeps this up, the Goldman boys may even vote for him next time around!'.

And it's not just Goldman staff who will be happy with the timing of Obama's announcement. Employees at the likes of Bank of America, Citi and JPMorgan will no doubt be high-fiving it too.

In the meantime, we're not sure whether HSBC Chairman Stephen Green is doing his best to dampen down his own employees' bonus expectations, or subtly canvassing for the Governorship of the Bank of England should it soon become vacant, but he has re-entered the bonus debate via an interview with The Financial Times. Green told the newspaper: 'You've had bonuses paid off gross income, you've had bonuses paid off first-day (profits), you've had bonuses paid without any capital charge, and so you can see how that gives rise to... wrong and inflated numbers'.

And The Wall Street Journal reports that ING CEO Jan Hommen confirmed Monday that his firm was losing staff to rivals due to the pay restrictions imposed on the company in return for Dutch state aid.

Finally, it's good to know that former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair still has his nose in the trough. According to The Independent, Teflon Blair is to bag £200,000 ($322,000) for giving 4 political briefings to staff over at hedge fund Lansdowne Partners - you know, the very firm which is said to have made $161m on shorting Northern Rock straight into nationalization. Nice one, Tony.

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