Greenspan's holdings may well have grown in 2000
By Elizabeth Lo
WASHINGTON, Aug 7 (Reuters) - Despite a sharp slowdown in the U.S. economy that began in the latter part of the year, Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan may well have boosted his financial holdings in 2000, a government disclosure form revealed on Tuesday.
The figures for last year show the powerful central banker had investments worth between $4.2 million and $12.1 million, $1.1 million more than the prior year's bottom end of $3.1 million and nearly twice as much as the $6.2 million top end he reported in 1999.
However, like 1999, Greenspan played it safe last year and kept the bulk of his investments in Treasury bills.
The figures are reported as ranges and so do not reveal the exact amounts of the Fed chief's holdings.
While Greenspan tends to steer clear of volatile stock market investments, his wife Andrea Mitchell, an NBC correspondent, made small purchases of stock in companies including cosmetics firm Estee Lauder (NYSE:EL - news).
Greenspan, who can move financial markets with a carefully chosen word, avoids stock market investments lest he be seen as having a conflict of interest.
By law he is banned from owning the stock of banks or thrifts, or that issued by primary dealers of U.S. government bonds. But the Fed has said he chose to go even further than the rules demanded and eschews equities completely.
Greenspan's government salary last year was $136,700, well below the wage he would command in the private sector.