What Is Life Worth?: The Unprecedented Effort to Compensate the Victims of 9/11

by Kenneth R. Feinberg

The inspiration for the Netflix film 'Worth,' starring Michael Keaton, Stanley Tucci, and Amy Ryan: the true story of the man put in charge of the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund, and a testament to the enduring power of family, grief, love, fear, frustration, and courage.

Just days after September 11, 2001, Kenneth Feinberg was appointed to administer the federal 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund, a unique, unprecedented fund established by Congress to compensate families who lost a loved one on 9/11 and survivors who were physically injured in the attacks. Those who participated in the Fund were required to waive their right to sue the airlines involved in the attacks, as well as other potentially responsible entities. When the program was launched, many families criticized it as a brazen, tight-fisted attempt to protect the airlines from lawsuits. The Fund was also attacked as attempting to put insulting dollar values on the lives of lost loved ones. The families were in pain. And they were angry. Over the course of the next three years, Feinberg spent almost all of his time meeting with the families, convincing them of the generosity and compassion of the program, and calculating appropriate awards for each and every claim. The Fund proved to be a dramatic success with over 97% of eligible families participating. It also provided important lessons for Feinberg, who became the filter, the arbitrator, and the target of family suffering. Feinberg learned about the enduring power of family grief, love, fear, faith, frustration, and courage. Most importantly, he learned that no check, no matter how large, could make the families and victims of 9/11 whole again.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Memoir, Politics, Law, Book Club, Business

240 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2005

About the author

Kenneth R. Feinberg, one of the nation’s leading lawyers, has been front and center in some of the most complex legal disputes of the past three decades. He is the former Administrator of the Gulf Coast Claims Facility, established by the Obama Administration to process claims for compensation arising out of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill in 2010. He also served as Special Master of the Federal September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001, and was Administrator of the Hokey Spirit Memorial Fund following the killings of 32 students and faculty on the Virginia Tech Campus in 2007. Mr. Feinberg was appointed Special Master of TARP Executive Compensation by the Secretary of the Treasury in 2010, and previously served as Special Master in the Federal Agent Orange Product Liability litigation.

Reviews

[Alan Cohen · Rating 4 out of 5]

'What Is Life Worth?' explains the real story of an unprecedented decision in US contemporary history that affected thousands of families of 9/11 victims. Told by the 9/11 compensation fund Special Master himself, this is one of those 'where to draw the line' moments. Kenneth Feinberg explains in detail where he drew the line when deciding how to fairly compensate 9/11 victims, and the complex moral and philosophical situation that followed the 2001 terrorist attacks.

After the Sept. 11 attacks, the US government was concerned many families would sue the airline industry and other entities related to the attacks (WTC, FAA, FDNY, Boeing, etc.), which would end in an economic crisis and years of limitless —and possibly senseless— litigation. To discourage endless class action lawsuits that could prove catastrophic to the economy, and to provide closure and support to the families, Congress decided to enact a statute giving Ken Feinberg very extensive power to manage an unprecedented compensation fund based on financial hardship caused by the attacks. For nearly two years, Feinberg, alongside dozens of top-notch attorneys and government employees, met with hundreds of affected families, and created a detailed and tailored formula to compensate them in a fair manner with public funds.

The whole book is based on countless questions that in many cases don't seem to have a perfect answer. How differently should poor and rich families be compensated for their loss on 9/11? If 9/11 victims are compensated, shouldn't victims of other terrorist attacks and similar incidents (e.g. Oklahoma Bombings) be compensated as well? How could someone measure potential earnings and success if a victim had not been deceased, for compensation purposes? How should the manner of death affect compensation when comparing 9/11 victims who died in different circumstances? How could the fund acknowledge heroism when compensating families of those who sacrificed their lives for others during the attacks? If families affected by the attacks received donations from private charities prior to the official fund, should they be deducted from the final compensation? (If so, totally? Partially? Case-by-case?) Who should receive compensation if a victim's family has a conflict or disagreement among members? How could the fund fairly compensate a same-sex partner not legally entitled to their loved one's estate? (remember that same-sex marriage was not yet legally recognized in 2001, and the application of family law would largely depend on the state where the victim resided.)

Apart from explaining the tough decisions that Ken Feinberg had to make on his own, this book includes testimonies of families and other parties related to the incidents, real conversations with grieving individuals, what the attacks could mean for the future of national security and tort law, how different grief and faith manifests in victims, and how the 9/11 attacks defined American solidarity and feeling of national unity after the devastating incidents.

I picked up this book after watching 'Worth', the Netflix movie based on Feinberg's fund. I really enjoyed both, and although the book has more information and details about specific victims and families, you can get a good grasp of the important concepts and thoughtful questions that led to how the compensation fund ended up working. If you liked this book, I really encourage you to watch the movie, since it adds visual context to the attacks and grief that families underwent. (Plus, I believe Michael Keaton plays Feinberg very well!) And if you otherwise watched the movie first (like me!), read the book only if you're interested in the topic and would enjoy more details and first-hand testimonies of the attacks. I'm glad I did!

[Jack Cheng]

For most people, the title is a philosophical question; for Feinberg, who administered the 9/11 compensation fund for victims and families (and has since did similar work for Boston Marathon bombing victims), this is a real-life conundrum to solve. He goes about his work with rabbinical wisdom and a lot of compassion.

This book documents the 9/11 fund, laying out the legislation that led to its creation, the political situation that gave Feinberg, as "Special Master" extraordinary powers, and then actual administration of the work. This is at once practical, virtually a "how-to" and full of heart-breaking stories, as well as unexpected humor (coming from ridiculous requests -- one widower asks that the fund pay for escort services). Incredibly, family squabble erupted over who would get payments, with imminent in-laws shutting out fiancees. Overall, though, the fund is a humane gesture from the American people to an extraordinary event.

Feinberg is guided by advice from his mentor, Ted Kennedy, and chooses to use his discretion to shrink the gap between rich and poor. Although lawsuits would calculate a person's lifetime earnings, Feinberg can't do those sorts of calculations for 3000+ affected families. In fact, at the end, he advises that future funds set a fixed amount for particular injuries and not have the compensation offset by insurance or other outside income. (He also doesn't believe that funds like these should be a regular occurrence -- why should a firefighter who dies on 9/11 get compensation that a colleague who dies on another day would not?)

The average compensation to victim's families was about $2,000,000, whether they were stockbrokers or stock boys, American or foreign. With great compassion, Feinberg ultimately answers his question: for each family affected, the life of their loved one was worth the same as that of any other family's loved one.

[Riley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Charged with convincing the families of the victims of 9/11/01 to not sue the government or airlines, Feinburg attempts to explain how families fighting for money after the victim's death is their expression of the value of that life. He falls short. Feinberg portrays his thoughts on the meaning of life through his experience at an elementary level. While his task is interesting and unique, his book is not.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was so interesting. I didn’t know about the 9/11 victim compensation fund until reading this. What an impossible task Feinberg and his team had…and they pulled it off.

[Alexander F · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting book written in a very organized and captivating manner albeit despite a very apparent arrogant depiction of self by the author.

[Mrs. Danvers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting and thoughtful. Reading this, one would not immediately assume that it would be fodder for a movie.

[Stan M · Rating 3 out of 5]

I vaguely remember hearing in the news about funding for first responders being withheld or debated. I never really knew about the 9/11 victim’s compensation. I disagree that victims of tragedies should be compensated in order to save the airline industry (perhaps a crude simplification). I don’t like that people were compensated by some arbitrary formula that Feinberg and his team came up with after wasting time effort and resources to do so. That said it’s a book worth reading. I would’ve favored giving a flat $2M per victim and avoid the charade they ended up doing. It would’ve also avoided the chore of trying to “narrow the gap between rich and poor” which it’s not really sure why this was necessary (and also doesn’t seem like was in the actual legislation?). I appreciate that Feinberg recommends repeating a compensation fund for similar events in the future

The book itself is short enough to go through pretty quickly. Some critiques of the book: I didn’t really care to hear Feinberg try to explain the emotional toils and stories of families outside of the scope of the 9/11 fund (other books like “The only plane in the sky” did this much better. It wasn’t always clear what factors actually swayed Feinberg to give more or less

[Michelle Falco · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was written by the man who was put in charge of compensating the victims of 9/11 with funds from the government. What a daunting task which ultimately led to the question, What is someone's life worth? So many things were considered with no right answers. Was every victim to receive the same amount? Who would receive the money--spouses, parents, fiancés, children? Do you base the amount given on future earnings --a restaurant dishwasher vs a stock broker? What about those who were working but were in the United States illegally, or from another country? I was so impressed with the degree of compassion and the dedication of the committee in considering all angles, knowing that there was no amount of money that would make it completely right for the victims and their families. It was also interesting to see that the fund was set up without thinking through the details which led to so many hurtful results for the victims.

[Reid Champagne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wisdom of Solomon

How do you distribute $7 billion to the surviving victims of 9/11 in such a way that 97% of those eligible accepted their awards with peace and understanding rather than anger or bitterness? The author undertook this seemingly impossible task, adjudicating a statute he knew from the beginning was deeply flawed, if not a total minefield of potential congressional overreach. But Feinberg expertly navigates the full range of responses: inconsolable sorrow, pain, anger and intransigence, handling them all with the patience and evenhandedness of a combination social worker, religious confessor and hostage negotiator. The book is a testament to how government can get it right - when the right man is put in charge, that is. Oh and by the way, the successful settlement probably saved the entire airline industry from being litigated into extinction.

[Chris Germain · Rating 4 out of 5]

A tough, tough read.

The details from the interviews of the victims families were devastating. However, they were a helpful reminder of the frailty of human life and the fact that, indeed, nobody is promised tomorrow.

I loved the authors transparency about his own emotion in dealing with this monumental task. He seemed to genuinely care and judging from the figures at the end of the book he was very generous.

I give 4 stars because the author isn’t an “author” he’s a lawyer. You can tell a little.

Also the particular paperback printing I had did not print well at all. Some of the figures and tables listed in the back were unreadable.

Would definitely recommend but you need to be in a healthy emotional state before reading as this is heavy, heavy stuff.

[Alex Hunter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Feinberg willingly shouldered a herculean challenge (pro bono): "The statute creating the 9/11 fund was an attempt to do the impossible - to provide a fair repayment for the sudden loss of a loved one and some degree of justice for that loss. But in such a case, what is 'fair'? What is 'just'? How can life be measured in dollars and cents? Should such a calculus even be attempted, especially in a democracy founded on belief in the dignity and respect due every individual? These are questions with no simple answers." He attempted to do the most good for 5,562 surviving family members and despite the odds and lack of precedence, he did just that. He is a gifted writer and his account is well worth the short read.

[Ivan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this book recommended by my insurance agent a while ago when I inquire about how much is enough for a life insurance policy. It is eye-opening to know how he had to deal with that difficult and challenging situation.
He mentioned how much communications skills he had to develop to talk to all the families and how he had to create the rules of the fund to avoid at all cost independent sues. It gives a good idea of how he calculated the monetary compensation and how to distribute it. I can’t imagine the stress level while performing these duties.
If you have the same question about how much life insurance is enough, this book will definitely help and give you a better idea.

[David Orenstein · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book that gives the insider's view of the 9/11 victim compensation program. Feinberg tells the story of how he came to be the special master in charge of distributing the money that congress put aside for the victims -- those who died, those who were injured, and their families, with a view into considerations of the amount of the awards (? how much for a multi-millions dollar salaried bod trader versus a low wage restaurant employee), the impact of the deaths on the remaining families, etc. He shares some moving testimonies.. Not great literature, but an important look into an important event.

[Tanner Bond · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audiobook*

I watched the movie for this book originally on Netflix and really liked the movie. The book was also very good, it touched on a lot of philosophical ideas and he talked in depth about the wide array of human emotion in regards to tragedy. That part was super interesting along with the way that he alone had to make all these decisions about how to pay out government compensation to victims families. I will say I think the book is more informative on how the process went down while the movie is more dramatized with characters taking larger roles in the movie which they did in the book. Id still suggest both to people because its not super long and its pretty interesting.

[Andrew Mitofsky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hard to really give this book a rating as I was more intrigued about the logic, implementation, and methodology behind the 9/11 fund after watching the movie adaptation of What Is Life Worth? While I don’t know if I agree with how all the award amounts were calculated and determined, the willingness of the author to do it pro bono and take the time to listen to all applicants is admirable, as is the effort undertaken to reach all impacted people. Definitely an impossible job, but given the circumstances the fund appears to have been a success, though also cemented the idea that there is no monetary value that can be assigned to a lost life, even more so in the circumstances of 9/11.

[Karl · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this after watching the film. In some sense, I’m glad I did, because it showed me that the film’s central “plot” (the struggle to convince people to sign up to the fund) was pure fiction. For example, the film’s “Fix the fund” character was a mere footnote in reality. Similarly, unlike the film, Feinberg met with families from day one, and there was no real race to meet the fund’s signup targets. Unfortunately, without these “struggles,” there isn’t all that much to write about, and the book ought really to have been a short essay, rather than 160+ repetitive pages.

[Ken Johnson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have read many first-hand accounts of historical happenings, but I can remember none where the words ‘I’ or ‘me’ or ‘my’ occurred so frequently, to the point of distracting from the telling of this unique happening itself. Of course, Feinberg, as the administrator of the fund to compensate the victims of 9/11, had to tell us of the role he played, but his constant attention to himself turns what should have been a gripping read into something far less so. Very disappointing.

[spiacente · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thought it was quite interesting. Didn’t even know such a fund existed, and I’m quite intrigued by the fact that the US government really agreed to such a generous compensation scheme. The book was a bit draggy at times as the author repeated certain things over and over again but overall I think the topic of deciding how much a life is worth will always be quite interesting and so I managed to stick it through.

[Daniel Schneider · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am left feeling that the book served as an attempted catalyst for Feinberg’s need for recognition. The whole book was focused on Feinberg’s role in the project. Though his role was significant, it would have been nice to read of specific victim’s cases from beginning to end to see how the committee determined the monetary value of a human life — and including the value that the victim’s families were given.

[Kate Krinke · Rating 4 out of 5]

An intriguing & emotional read. I never knew this victim compensation program existed after 9/11 until coming across this book. While discussing the difficult decisions made during the weeks & months after the terrorist attacks, this book gives a first-hand view into the lives of the victims & families of those killed in the twin towers, pentagon, and airplanes on 9/11. I recommend for a heartfelt history lesson.

[Janene Schimmer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m glad that I read this book because it was definitely unique and obviously a true story about what happened to all the survivors of 9/11 who lost family members, etc. I thought it was really interesting. What occurred, but not what I would consider a page turner.
I choose it (as usual) because I saw that they made it into a movie but the movie on Netflix was just okay, didn’t even finish it because it was understandably rather depressing

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found out about the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund while reading The Only Plane in the Sky (read that book!!) and so was interested in reading this. Overall, I’m glad I read this. It was interesting to learn about how Kenneth ended up in this position and to think about the processes, logistics, and emotions involved in the fund

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, have you really ever thought about what your life is worth? This book is about the lives of those that died or injured during the 9/11 attack. The author, Feinberg, is tasked with coming up with a dollar number for those people. This is not a feel good book, but a reality check. If you are studying law, this would be something I would recommend reading.

[Barnhikk · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book which provided insight into the process and administration of the Victim's Compensation Fund after 9/11. Kenneth Feinberg provided visibility in the difficulties from a legal, political and emotional perspective as the victims were from many economic statuses and demographics.

[Brandon Power · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some people will find this book incredibly boring. Others will find it interesting and the stories of victims and their families incredibly heartfelt.

Due to my line of work, I adored this book and found even the 'boring/technical' side of things incredibly fascinating. Will easily be one of my all-time favourite non-fiction books and no doubt one I turn back to in the future.

[Anastacia Wilkin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wasn’t sure what to expect. This book was good but not great, a little redundant at times. An interesting topic and not something many would’ve wanted to be tasked with. I did like his conclusions in the epilogue.

[lindsay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting read. In the lengthy discussion of how to provide economic compensation to the victims, the one thing that was missing was any acknowledgement of how this would impact the families of female victims, who typically earn less — charts at the back show a staggering disparity in awards to families of deceased men vs women.

[Susu Almusawi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Little to no legalese. Plain and simple writing. Easy to follow and understand. The author was very much repetitive. If we remove the repeated parts we would have 2 lesser chapters. But I feel like he was trying to firmly prove some of his thoughts and theories. Very insightful read.

[Janet Roberts · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting read. Thought provoking.

[Deb · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting and thoughtfully written, though tediously repetitive