, ▁and ▁the ▁alleg ations ▁remain ▁un pro ven . ▁ ▁Comp ens ation ▁In vest ment ▁bank ing ▁is ▁often ▁critic ized ▁for ▁the ▁enorm ous ▁pay ▁packages ▁awarded ▁to ▁those ▁who ▁work ▁in ▁the ▁industry . ▁According ▁to ▁Blo om berg ▁Wall ▁Street ' s ▁five ▁biggest ▁fir ms ▁paid ▁over ▁$ 3 ▁billion ▁to ▁their ▁execut ives ▁from ▁ 2 0 0 3 ▁to ▁ 2 0 0 8 , ▁" while ▁they ▁pres ided ▁over ▁the ▁pack aging ▁and ▁sale ▁of ▁lo ans ▁that ▁helped ▁bring ▁down ▁the ▁invest ment - bank ing ▁system ." ▁ ▁The ▁highly ▁gener ous ▁pay ▁packages ▁include ▁$ 1 7 2 ▁million ▁for ▁M err ill ▁Lyn ch ▁CE O ▁Stanley ▁O ' Ne al ▁from ▁ 2 0 0 3 ▁to ▁ 2 0 0 7 , ▁before ▁it ▁was ▁bought ▁by ▁Bank ▁of ▁America ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 8 , ▁and ▁$ 1 6 1 ▁million ▁for ▁Bear ▁Ste ar ns ' ▁James ▁C ay ne ▁before ▁the ▁bank ▁col lapsed ▁and ▁was ▁sold ▁to ▁J PM organ ▁Ch ase ▁in ▁June ▁ 2 0 0 8 . ▁ ▁Such ▁pay ▁arrang ements ▁have ▁attract ed ▁the ▁i re ▁of ▁Democr ats ▁and ▁Republic ans ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Congress , ▁who ▁demanded ▁limits ▁on ▁executive ▁pay ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 8 ▁when ▁the ▁U . S . ▁government ▁was ▁b ail ing ▁out ▁the ▁industry ▁with ▁a ▁$ 7 0 0 ▁billion ▁financial ▁rescue ▁package . ▁ ▁Writing