Last December at a black-tie industry gala in New York City's famed Plaza Hotel, Ken Lewis strode past other top financial executives to the podium to accept the award for Banker of the Year. The financial industry was crashing, but Lewis looked to be at the top of his game. The CEO told the crowd, "It is incumbent upon all of us, especially those of us whose performance has left us in a strengthened leadership position, to help our industry find a new balance between our desire for economic growth and our need for market stability."This December, Lewis will be out of a job. On Wednesday, he sent an e-mail to the bank's staffers saying he will retire by the end of the year. Lewis, 62, said it was his decision to leave, but no one could miss the huge legal dustup swirling around him over the bank's deal late last year to buy Merrill Lynch. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and New York attorney general Andrew Cuomo have been investigating whether Lewis misled shareholders to gain approval of that acquisition. He could soon face charges in those probes.
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