Will John Thain become CEO of Citigroup?

The Financial Times reports that Robert Rubin is telling people that the next CEO of Citigroup will have a free hand when it comes to setting Citigroup's strategy. Rubin had previously indicated that the board supported the old Charles Prince strategy--something that infuriated shareholders. My take was that Rubin was merely bending over backwards to make it known that the board had not already decided on a break up. Some think Citigroup is courting John Thain, who wants all strategic options available. He comes from an iffy tenure at the NYSE. He moved the exchange away from the floor and inked the Euronext deal, even as domestic competitors eat away at its market share.  

For more:
- here's the Financial Times article

Related articles:
- Controversy over Prince's payout
- Rubin to rise to the Citigroup challenge?