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Swedish Woman Gets $18 Million in Sex Harassment Suit Against Boss

A Swedish woman who sued her former Wall Street boss over allegations of sexual conquest and stalking was awarded $18 million by a federal jury.
Image: Benjamin Wey leaves court
Benjamin Wey, chief executive of New York Global Group, bottom left, leaves federal court last week in Manhattan.Frank Franklin II / AP

A Swedish woman who sued her former Wall Street executive boss over lurid allegations of sexual conquest, betrayal and stalking was awarded $18 million by a federal jury Monday.

Hanna Bouveng, 25, accused Benjamin Wey, 43, in an $850 million lawsuit of using his power as owner of New York Global Group to coerce her into four sexual encounters before firing her after discovering she had a boyfriend.

Image: Benjamin Wey leaves court
Benjamin Wey, chief executive of New York Global Group, bottom left, leaves federal court last week in Manhattan.Frank Franklin II / AP

The jury in federal court in Manhattan awarded her $2 million in compensatory damages plus $16 million in punitive damages on sexual harassment, retaliation and defamation claims. It rejected a claim of assault and battery.

Bouveng, who was raised in Vetlanda, Sweden, testified that soon after Wey hired her at New York Global Group, the CEO began a relentless quest to have sex with her. She says he fired her six months later after she refused any more sexual contact and he found a man in her bed in the apartment he helped finance.

The married financier denied ever having sex with Bouveng. He testified that Bouveng knew nothing about finance before he hired and began mentoring her. He claimed she betrayed his generosity by embracing a party-girl lifestyle that left her too exhausted to succeed.