The fine imposed on HSBC is just part of the broader fallout in Hong Kong from the collapse of Lehman Brothers. While the investors in this case were high-net-worth individuals, tens of thousands of Hong Kong savers channelled HK$20 billion into "minibonds" issued by the New York investment bank, and sold on to other banks in Hong Kong. When Lehman Brothers collapsed, the value of these investments fell to zero, sparking bitter recriminations.