( Read More : US Judge Limits Ex-Goldman Sachs Exec's Defense ) Tourre resigned from Goldman in December 2012, and is pursuing a doctorate in economics at the University of Chicago. In a statement, he said he was "deeply grateful for the unwavering support of my family and friends as I consider potential next steps in the legal process." Symbol of the meltdown Tourre became a symbol of the financial meltdown after the SEC sued him and Goldman in 2010 for misleading investors in a synthetic collateralized debt obligation, or CDO, linked to mortgages called Abacus 2007-AC1.