It used to be just money that you lost by investing in the Internet, now it's lives. The Latin American director of online investment management company Antfactory has been found dead in Argentina. He and his wife had been shot in the neck at close range and a note, written in English, said they had been killed for not paying bribes.

Incredible as it may seem, it is not altogether surprising in Argentina. There is still a pervasive bribery culture to the extent that many Argentinean businessmen would probably think Isidoro Mariano Losanovscky Perel foolish rather than the victim of an appalling atrocity.

The Latin American branch - started in July last year with $100 million funding - produced an official response saying its thoughts were with the Perel family and vowing to help the authorities find out what had happened. ®