As head of the 9/11 Compensation Fund, Feinberg was asked, in the interest of fairness, to calculate the dollar value of 2,976 lives lost in the World Trade Center.
Most importantly, he learned that no check, no matter how large, could make the families and Victims of 9/11 whole again..
Feinberg learned about the enduring power of family grief, love, fear, faith, frustration, and courage.
It also provided important lessons for Feinberg, who became the filter, the arbitrator, and the target of family suffering.
The Fund proved to be a dramatic success with over 97% of eligible families participating.
Over the course of the next three years, Feinberg spent almost all of his time meeting with the families, convincing them of the generosity and compassion of the program, and calculating appropriate awards for each and every claim.
And they were angry.
The families were in pain.
The Fund was also attacked as attempting to put insulting dollar values on the lives of lost loved ones.
When the program was launched, many families criticized it as a brazen, tight-fisted attempt to protect the airlines from lawsuits.
Those who participated in the Fund were required to waive their right to sue the airlines involved in the attacks, as well as other potentially responsible entities.
Just days after September 11, 2001, Kenneth Feinberg was appointed to administer the federal 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund, a unique, unprecedented Fund established by Congress to Compensate families who lost a loved one on 9/11 and survivors who were physically injured in the attacks.
The inspiration for the Netflix film \'Worth, \' starring Michael Keaton, Stanley Tucci, and Amy Ryan: the true Story of the man put in charge of the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund, and a testament to the enduring power of family, grief, love, fear, frustration, and courage.
The experience changed his own Life forever.
As head of the 9/11 Compensation Fund, Feinberg was asked, in the interest of fairness, to calculate the dollar value of 2,976 lives lost in the World Trade Center
