I wonder if the "desperate" and the "dumb" were so critical of him when they needed access to funds and his bank was their only life line? Its easy to look down your nose if you don't count yourself among the "desperate" or "dumb" or see these transactions from their perspective. His business took risks on people no one else would. It seems like for most, it was a symbiotic relationship. No doubt many of these deplorable were ruined but he didn't put them in that situation any more than the less desperate and brighter folks that I've known who find themselves in financial straights after borrowing from less predatory lenders.