Gerald Ratner, CEO of the UK's Ratners Group, triggered a share price crash when he described his own products as 'total crap' during a 1991 speech, instantly wiping out a market capitalisation of around 500 million pounds. Ratners Group had grown to command roughly a quarter of the UK jewellery market, but the remark enraged customers and led to Ratner's ouster from the company. He later rebuilt his career in the fitness club business, and in 2001 used the proceeds from a 3.9 million pound sale to launch the online jewellery store Gerald Online, which he grew into one of the UK's largest online jewellery retailers.