Angelo Mozilo

No one person can sum up the immense financial screw-up of the subprime mortgage business—but Mozilo, a Bronx kid turned titan, comes close. As head of Countrywide Financial, he pushed his sales force to write risky loans long after alarm bells began sounding, and took home staggeringly large paychecks. Unlike many of his customers, he won't lose his home, though he might lose his company.