5 ▁September ▁ 2 0 0 8 , ▁when ▁Le h man ▁declared ▁bank rupt cy . ▁Some ▁of ▁the ▁story ▁is ▁narr ated ▁by ▁the ▁fict ional ▁character ▁" Z ach ", ▁a ▁Le h man ▁employee ▁often ▁taking ▁orders ▁directly ▁from ▁Dick ▁F uld . ▁ ▁Zach ▁often ▁breaks ▁the ▁Four th ▁wall , ▁talking ▁directly ▁to ▁the ▁vie wer . ▁ ▁In vest ment ▁bank ▁Le h man ▁Brothers ▁is ▁in ▁trouble ▁after ▁a ▁tur bul ent ▁six ▁months ▁in ▁which ▁their ▁real ▁estate ▁invest ments ▁have ▁lost ▁bill ions ▁of ▁dollars , ▁causing ▁ste ep ▁dro ps ▁in ▁Le h man ' s ▁stock . ▁ ▁Le h man ' s ▁b oss , ▁Dick ▁F uld ▁( Core y ▁Johnson ), ▁who ▁brought ▁the ▁firm ▁through ▁other ▁cr ises , ▁is ▁himself ▁growing ▁des perate . ▁ ▁F uld ' s ▁plan ▁to ▁spin ▁off ▁the ▁company ' s ▁bad ▁assets ▁into ▁a ▁separate ▁company ▁does ▁not ▁satisfy ▁invest ors , ▁and ▁Le h man ▁stock ▁dro ps ▁by ▁ 7 5 % ▁in ▁one ▁week . ▁ ▁F uld ' s ▁only ▁remaining ▁solution ▁is ▁to ▁have ▁Le h man ▁acquired . ▁ ▁Both ▁Bank ▁of ▁America ▁and ▁Bar cl ays ▁are ▁interested ▁in ▁purch asing ▁the ▁firm ▁but ▁are ▁dis su aded ▁because ▁so ▁much ▁of ▁Le h man ' s ▁assets ▁are ▁" to xic ", ▁worth less . ▁ ▁Le h man ' s ▁problems ▁have ▁put ▁the ▁US ▁government ▁in ▁a ▁del icate