Feinberg familiar with managing billions

The 64-year-old attorney is winding down his role this summer as head of the $700 billion Troubled Asset Relief Program, as he takes over the doling out of funds to those affected by the April 20 oil spill.  

Before TARP, Feinberg managed the September 11 Victims Fund, deciding how much each family would receive, working three years and providing $7 billion to 97 percent of those affected. 

Dealing with those families took an emotional toll on Feinberg who said he had to change his hard-edged legal approach, eventually gaining the trust and respect of the family members. 

In an interview earlier this year, Feinberg said he misjudged how to handle the cases and “for the first year, I was at odds with these families. I had a lawyer’s disposition in trying to deal with families in grief and anger.”