Party over, time to cash in before the money evaporate? Sounds like that's what happens when people smell the end of a bubble. A bit of welfare for the well-off, soon to be no longer well paid? A courtesy extended only to those high enough up the food chain, to be sure. Which for the tech/internet bubble included some fortunate engineers. I remember some of my slightly older and start-up employed friends loosing their jobs when the end approached, only to be hired back as 'consultants' at $300 to $400 an hour. And the final day at the office, with the 'take what you want of the equipment' party.  I only have anecdotal evidence here, sorry... I guess for the City crowd they have slightly more sophisticated bonuses to hand out to this end.

Bonuses have been runaway for a while, though. So maybe it's a different phenomenon. But something about wads of cash handed out at what seems to be bad and worsening times seems so familiar.