Does this guy have some kind of overall plan? Is there a reason behind his antics? Does he have some kind of defined goal or endgame? Does he just enjoy being a Gadfly?
This is different than spilling defense or diplomatic secrets. Is this the act of a hero? A villian? A madman?
As a secondary question: If he starts to be a problem for large corporations, will his life be worth a plug nickle? Which is more dangerous. screwing with the US of America or the Bank of America?
Well, he did not specify the bank . . . And there are probably numerous ways to place a perfectly legal financial/securities bet that would profit from a situation of that kind of exposure vaguely threatening every bank in the industry at the same time.
Regardless, come to think of it, of whether you’re bluffing or not about having the data in the first place . . .
I guess that makes him a supervillain! 
From the same article:
Does he have a cat? He has to sit and stroke a cat to be a supervillian.
“You have zero privacy anyway. Get over it.”
– Scott McNealy
Surprising it took this long to become apparent that it applies to governments and banks and corporations too.
He’s like Cosmo from the early 90’s hacker film Sneakers
Wonder if Assange has the same delusions. Be interesting to see what happens.
As **BrainGlutton **said, private citizens have been losing their privacy rights for some time now. It’ll just take a while longer with companies and governments.
Delusions?
Maybe the wrong word choice. Plans? Visions? Goals?
Cosmo’s end-goal was to “crash the whole system . . .”
A world without secrets? Could that be the endpoint of all this, planned or otherwise?
The guys given several interviews over the years, and wikileaks itself has an “about” page which gives the gist of the philosophy behind it. I don’t think there’s really any need to randomly speculate about what his motivations are.
Wikileaks about page: http://www.wikileaks.org/media/about.html
It’s a secret.
Not anymore. I just sent it to Wikileaks!
Wonder if this release will include individual accountholder data? Releasing individuals’ secrets might turn public opinion against Assange.
Given governments answer to the banks, the answer is obvious.
Kind of anti-Semitic, don’t you think? Remove the top item on that picture and I might agree with you.
I don’t think he would do that. At least I hope not. As you say, it would turn public opinion against him.
I suppose what he might do is release account data on large account holders, billionaires, major corporations, and such.
Anti…?! 
I would have thought their position in the ‘marionette hierarchy’ is quite flattering and implied something closer to admiration than any prejudice! 
NB: Judaism is a religion not a race. Despite what some may lead us to believe, there is a distinction.
I thought he was a hero. Oh, that’s right. That didn’t go over so well…
