# MF Global Customers

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mf-global-customers/606127>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [December 14, 2011, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mf-global-customers/606127 "2011-12-14T03:21:40Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![SanDiegoTim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/85e7bf/32.png) [@SanDiegoTim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanDiegoTim)\
**Post date:** [December 14, 2011, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mf-global-customers/606127/1 "2011-12-14T03:21:40Z")

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Just who are/were MFG’s customers. Based upon what little is heard of them I doubt they are individual investors (ALA Bernie Madoff). Large hedge funds? Banks?

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**Author:** ![dzero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5f9b8f/32.png) [@dzero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dzero)\
**Post date:** [December 15, 2011, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mf-global-customers/606127/2 "2011-12-15T03:28:50Z")

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Probably, but there were also a lot of retail customers. My PCP was one. I haven’t heard any recent estimates, but supposedly they’ll only see 60 to 70 cents on the dollar.

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**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\
**Post date:** [December 15, 2011, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mf-global-customers/606127/3 "2011-12-15T12:27:52Z")

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MF Global’s website (still up!) invites individual investors. There may have been a high minimum balance required, though.

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**Author:** ![Trom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/958977/32.png) [@Trom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trom)\
**Post date:** [December 15, 2011, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mf-global-customers/606127/4 "2011-12-15T14:19:41Z")

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Farmers, farm co-ops, grain elevators, individual traders/funds, hedge funds, regional banks, etc. Basically anyone involved with the commodities markets.

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**Author:** ![gazpacho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6f9a4e/32.png) [@gazpacho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gazpacho)\
**Post date:** [December 15, 2011, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mf-global-customers/606127/5 "2011-12-15T16:04:19Z")

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> [@Trom](#):
>
> Farmers, farm co-ops, grain elevators, individual traders/funds, hedge funds, regional banks, etc. Basically anyone involved with the commodities markets.

NPR had a story about a rancher who had hedged the price of cattle with MF Global.

[http://www.npr.org/2011/12/14/143727507/rancher-discusses-losing-money-with-mf-global](http://www.npr.org/2011/12/14/143727507/rancher-discusses-losing-money-with-mf-global)

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**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\
**Post date:** [December 15, 2011, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mf-global-customers/606127/6 "2011-12-15T23:07:04Z")

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One of my coworkers had a small (few $K) account invested with them. He’s an ordinary, if somewhat adventurous, retail investor. His investment didn’t have any job or industry connection.