AP – The Chief financial officer of Freddie Mac, one of the mortgage giants at the heart of the nation’s financial meltdown, was found dead in his basement early Wednesday morning in what police said was an apparent suicide.

David Kellermann, 41, apparently hanged himself in his suburban Washington home, said a law enforcement official familiar with the investigation. He asked not to be identified because the investigation was ongoing.

Kellermann was promoted last September when the government seized the mortgage company and ousted its top two executives. Neighbors said Kellermann had lost a noticeable amount of weight under the strain of the new job. Some neighbors said they suggested to Kellermann should quit to avoid the stress, but Kellermann responded that he wanted to help the company through its problems. The neighbors did not want to be quoted by name because they didn’t want to upset the family.

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Forbes – Billionaire Carlos Slim Helu believes enough in The New York Times that he loaned it $250 million for an eventual 17% stake. The Forbes.com Investor Team says don’t copy him.

Last summer in the Turnaround Newsletter, George Putnam III called out the New York Times Co. as a big name that had been beaten down to the buying level. Along with such fallen giants as General Motors and Eastman Kodak, the newsletter editor recommended the media company at $12 a share. The stock has tanked since, down to just over $5.

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Tags: carlos slim helu, eastman kodak, forbes billionaire, general-motors, george putnam, giants, investor, new york times, new-york-times-co, newsletter editor, stake, stock, turnaround