In Brief: Green Tree Chairman To Retire at Year's End

Lawrence M. Coss, the controversial chairman of Green Tree Financial Corp., will retire at the end of the year, according to parent company Conseco Inc.

Mr. Coss, who co-founded Green Tree 23 years ago, gained fame as the country's highest-paid executive in 1996, earning about $103 million in salary and stock options. He was forced to return about $25 million in cash and stock to Green Tree after the manufactured-housing lender readjusted its prepayment assumptions and restated its earnings for that year.

Insurer Conseco, which bought Green Tree this year, will give Mr. Coss $30 million upon his departure. Bruce Crittenden, now executive vice president of Green Tree, will become chief executive in 1999. Mr. Coss will remain a director.

Conseco Inc. bid for Green Tree after the manufactured housing lender's stock fell on news of the restated earnings. Conseco's stock dropped 20% when the deal was announced. It was up $2.25, to $37.1875 Monday.

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