Citigroup tries to shed $100 million-man Andrew Hall

Citigroup Inc. (C) superstar trader Andrew Hall, whose $100 million potential payoff has created a political maelstrom for the New York-based bank, could be dubbed "the king of commodities." The British-born Hall even owns his own castle in Germany.

Maybe he can retreat to the 1,000-year-old fortress, where he held a gala to honor artist and filmmaker Julian Schnabel, to figure out where his otherwise spectacular career went wrong. According to the Financial Times, Citigroup is looking to sell or spin off or open up Phibro, the unit that Hall heads, to outside investors. Citigroup clearly wants political cover rather than having to pay Hall the percentage of Phibro's profits he's due.