The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) yesterday called in securities regulators and the state attorney general Eliot Spitzer to investigate the circumstances that led to a $188m (€147.8m) windfall for Richard Grasso, its former chief executive and chairman.

The head of the New York Stock Exchange, Richard Grasso, was facing mounting pressure today after it emerged that some directors had doubts about his massive $140m (€199.4m) pay deal.

Nervous investors sent stocks plummeting on Wall Street’s first trading day since last week’s terrorist attacks.

Attending the reopening of the New York Stock Exchange this morning Mayor Rudy Giuliani said the spirit of Americans was now ‘ten times stronger’ than it was last Monday. They are ‘united as never before’ he said.

After a successful test of its computer and communications systems on