He stole $7 billion: Is he a hero?

Jerome Kerviel, 31, is the "rogue" trad er who lost $7 billion for his employer, a large French bank.

A huge loss, it may have affected the U.S. stock market drop last week. But is Kerviel a criminal, or a hero?
CRIMINAL.  He obviously stole and lost $7 billion of the bank's money. 
HERO. He inadvertently pointed out another weakness of the current financial infrastructure that has to be fixed for the 21st century. What do you think?

Comments

[Stephen Downes]

I think he's the French scapegoat people have found in order to avoid facing up to the more genuine domestic causes of the stock slump.

[Richard Widdicombe]

We have had a number of financial upsets in recent years. The Savings and Loan crisis, the current Mortgage Loan crisis and now two rogue trader incidents the previous one destroying Barrings Bank.

All of these have one thing in common.
Lack of controls and oversight.
With faster electronic trading the stakes are getting higher and more dangerous.