Adding in these latest profits, Mr Blankfein has earned $182.4m in pay and compensation in the past five years.  The profits will not aid the bank's already tarnished public image, particularly at a time when the US unemployment rate sits at 9.6pc and as the US economy's recovery continues to stutter.  Although not related, it may also rankle certain investors, given Goldman's profit in the second quarter fell by 82pc to $813m after a series of exceptional charges including handing $600m to HM Revenue & Customs in relation to the UK bonus tax.  Mr Blankfein exercised 90,681 share options at a strike price of $82.875, receiving a $6.09m gross profit by selling the shares last Wednesday, August 11, at prices between $148.97 and $152. He had until November to exercise the options in question.  The details were contained in regulatory filings made by Goldman with the Securities and Exchange Commission.  Mr Blankfein and his colleagues benefited from the rebound in Goldman's share price in recent weeks, following its July settlement with the SEC over fraud charges.  The bank's decision to pay $550m to settle the SEC's civil charges on July 15 boosted the bank's share price, which has risen from a low of $131 as recently as late June to trade down 83 cents – or 0.56pc - at $147.25 yesterday. The payment was the largest settlement in Wall Street history .  In similar sales, Gary Cohn, Goldman's president, exercised 73,653 options and netted a $4.95m profit, while David Viniar, the bank's long-standing chief financial officer, made a $4.52m profit as a result of exercising 67,326 options.  Others to benefit in this raft of option sales included Greg Palm and Esta Stecher, the bank's co-general counsels, who made $3.22m and $1.54m respectively, and John Weinberg, co-head of investment banking, who made a $3.89m profit.
Lloyd Blankfein cashed in a $6.1m (3.9m) profit on options he received 10    years ago as part of a $23m windfall shared by five of Goldman Sachs'    leading executives.