It is about time to lay to rest any wondering about the cause of CNBC “Squawk on the Street” anchor Mark Haines’ death. I spoke to the Monmouth County medical examiner’s office this morning, which reports that he died of “natural causes,” namely “congestive heart failure due to cardiomegaly.” The signing physician was apparently his personal physician, Dr. Eugeny Olenko of Forest Hills, N.J.
Lt. Reck of the Marlburo, N.J. police department told me the case was closed and they had “no doubt” about the cause of death. The local police department took jurisdiction of the case from the county, I was told by the county prosecutor’s office yesterday.
The family requested a private autopsy, which is entirely appropriate in this case. If the police and the medical examiner are both satisfied, we should be too. The rest of the information will be kept private as it should be. There is no reason for the family to comment further.
Cardiomegaly is not a disease, so the cause of death given is not a very accurate one in my opinion as a pathologist. Although congestive heart failure could be cited as a cause, it may have not been the immediate cause of death, which could have been a ventricular arrhythmia (failure of the heart to maintain a normal rhythm).
Cardiomegaly means his heart was enlarged, which can occur for a variety of reasons. Simply type the term into Wikipedia and you will get the long laundry list of actual causes of/associations with heart enlargement from amlyloidosis to hyperthryroidism to heart defects to obesity. We could guess that Mark’s smoking history and obesity could have contributed to this, but other factors could have come into play. The rest is pure speculation. The case is now closed.
What this report does is put to rest the notion that other than natural causes were involved in Mark’s death.
As I said last week, rest in peace Mark. Thank you for all your great work and the way in which you did it.
I brought this story to the attention of major networks, who NEVER followed through on tying up these loose ends in their stories on Mark’s passing (years later!).
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Many of you may know that Mark did actually use market timing, most famously when calling the March 2009 bottom in the SP500 Index, since sometimes called the “Haines Bottom” in his memory. I was lucky to catch his comment live and happened to have agreed with him. What do you think? Would Mark make a market timing call today? He did not make market timing calls that often, and I distinctly remember him mentioning that fact as he made the March 2009 call. He liked calling bottoms more than tops. My personal practice is to call tops and bottoms, if the data are compelling.
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Mark Haines was my favorite CNBC personality…I was in my jeep on the beach at Sconset, Nantucket when I heard the report on Bloomberg Radio
I was shocked & saddened when I heard the report..I rember the Haines Bottom and also when he declared
“we are under attack” shortly after the jetliners hit the World Trade Center buildings on 9-11…Mark is now on a long peaceful trip in his cruiser.
Rest in peace ✌️ 😘
“Personality” is so important in delivering news, which by itself is lifeless. Mark had the ability to bring financial news alive.
Loved watching Mark for so many years.
He was one of a kind….still missed….
The impact of good souls lingers with us for sure. He was a good man.
I only saw Mark when he and/or Erin would appear on Imus in the Morning while it was on MSNBC, but his warmth and wit always touched me. I watch CNN all the time, and Erin does a terrific job, but every time I see her, I still think of Mark. I googled him today to read more about him. Not surprised to see the extent of his fan base at all. What a damn shame he is no longer with us. RIP, Mark!
Mark was a huge part of our family. Our son, who graduated with a degree in economics adored him throughout his childhood. I’m not ashamed to admit when Carl announced his death on the air we were in tears. We still watch CNBC but we will always miss Mark. He was like a favorite uncle, always in our hearts and never doubted a word he spoke. Would have loved to have met him.
It is fitting that Mark died of a heart condition…his was the biggest of them all on Squawk Box, and (as a viewer since the mid-80s) I miss his cut-through-the-BS style that only Joe Kiernan maintains. RIP Mark…
Mark really was a great guy. His humor is still unmatched in business news.
Mark had Mom & Pop’s back, and is family to many. No spin, talking your book unchallenged, or emperor’s clothes in his room. Thanks for your follow up.
Erin’s show on CNN is excellent. She is a voice of reason an so well polished. Simon Hobbs has Mark’s toughness and a great sense of humor. He’s the go to guy on all things Europe. Check out Kelly Evans and Ross Westgate on CNBC World – Worldwide Exchange. Both are doubleplusgood and come to NYC for a week or two now and then. I just found your site this AM googling Mark Haines. It looks like a good read so I bookmarked it.
Interesting times and how. Gotta go. The Open Cometh.
Thanx an a tippo.
Thanks for good info 🙂
after that sad event and after watching CNBC for ever, i closed that book and never returned to that channel again .
I just never could adapt to Sqawk since Mark….I tried, but it just was not as interesting to me. I switched a lot….Bloomberg/ CNBC….and then all of a sudden, AT&T UVerse started carrying Fox Business in my U200 Pkg. I have found a home for my business news there. I really like it (would much prefer the old Squawk with Mark….but this will do.) I like the Fox personalities and much to my surprise, found Melissa Francis there. I wondered what had happened to her….I knew Liz Clayman had gone to Fox; so she was no surprise.
Roz D.
I came across this post because I was interested to know what his death in May resulted from. It’s a real shame that CNBC never followed up in June about his death and what was really sad was they buried his memorial site only 2 weeks (or so) after his death. I am not sure if his bio is still accessible or not. I haven’t watched CNBC for a while as I have watched Fox Business or Bloomberg (if I want a liberal slant.) CNBC has totally lost sight how to report on Wall Street as they do high school debate clubs all day long. I remember the guy anchoring the original (and classic) Squawk Box at CNBC’s Fort Lee studios back a decade ago (during the dot-com bubble) and I loved the entertaining blocks in between him and Joe Kernan and David Faber (“The Brain”.)
I remember the last hard-hitting interview (and I do mean hard hitting) days prior to his death was to Cisco System’s John Chambers and how Chambers thought Mark was naive and didn’t know about routers and switches and I remember him cutting him off “EXCUSE ME! This is not a fundamental issue, its an issue with Cisco.”
When I saw the story that he passed, I thought of two words: Erin Burnett. (I know i can’t be the only one that thought of that.) He lost his anchor-wife figure just 5 weeks prior, and I bet that was a contributing factor.
I was a long time fan of him. (edited out comments on current hosts as they were friends of Mark’s) They should had put a new program since you can’t replace Squawk and you can’t obviously find another Mark Haines. (I don’t know if you can’t tell that I miss him.)
Rest in Peace.
Hi Steven, I left your comment as is except for the comments on his coworkers, as I feel Mark would prefer I leave that out. I think that despite the potential stress Erin’s leaving may have caused, Mark was very happy for her success. He helped nurture that success. And of course, we’re all responsible for our own reactions to the events of our lives. It is a skill that varies among people. Only Mark knows how he truly felt.
Yes, I can tell that you miss him. As you say, if you look across all the networks, it’s clear that there is no Mark Haines to be found. He had a special combination of a sense of being, intelligence, and humor and all of that echoed in his intro line: “From the financial capital of the world….”
David: Thanks so much for clearing this up. I was obsessed for a month following Mark’s death. Obsessed not so much with conspiracy theories, just the need to know, and the lack of explanation by CNBC was irritating. Like so many posters here, I respected Mark a great deal, and watched him for years. Being close to the same age (a tad younger), also a little overweight, and also a smoker, I identified with him on a number of levels. So while I strongly suspected his death was heart related, I still wanted to know.
The folks pointing out the family’s need for priivacy is certainly well taken. But they must realize that, as a public figure, his fans also had a need to know, whether that is politically correct or not. I am grateful to you for locating adequate information that, for me, puts the matter to rest.
I wish his family well, and hope they heal soon. As for the rest of us, we now understand the likely reason, and can also move on. I believe the media you have tried to alert are unresponsive because Mark was a niche celebrity, and the “fervor” about his death was restricted to a relatively small group of devotees. Why should they revisit the issue when it was closed for most? He was not Clint Eastwood or Meryl Streep. He was just our Mark Haines, and many of us regarded him very highly. He is missed.
As for Erin, she is beginning her own news show next week on CNN @7 p.m. weekdays. I wish her success too. She was not the seasoned professional Mark was, but appears to have the brains (in addition to the looks) to be a great success for a larger audience, outside of the financial world.
Thanks again my friend, Bob
Thank you Bob for your comment. It is a bit odd though that the media could be so lax about reporting accurately on their own. You did also mention your connection to Mark’s health issues and smoking, so that is something you may want to consider at a deeper level. Bringing that to your conscious mind may greatly prolong your life.
I think Erin will do well with her new show, but it is new to her as it seems it won’t be largely focused on financial matters. If it were, her audience would not be large enough to carry the hour for them. Whetherl the public will support her in this transition is the question for the programmers at CNN and her challenge to meet.
Take good care of yourself.
Thanks Doc, for the resolve: Certainly understandable.
Mark was a treasure; always truthful. He asked the hard questions without reservation. He was totally interested in our welfare. A BIG man, in all ways, for whom I am most grateful.
Rest in Peace. Jim
Jim – Thanks for your heartfelt comment. Gratitude for good things is…a very good thing.
As someone who personally knew the family and Mr Haines I find it offensive that people are not believing his death was natural. Stick your nose in someone else’s business and have some respect. A family is grieving and they don’t need your obnoxious speculations. Shame on some of these commenters.
Ferin – Sorry for the delay. The markets have been busy! I agree that thinking up ways Mark could have died is both pointless and uncalled for and that has been my position from the day I wrote the article. Thank you for commenting and please extend to Mark’s family my personal regards and those of others who have commented on this blog about how much they miss Mark’s presence.
Mr. Mark Haines was my only trusted source at cnbc, for many times i watched incredulously as he challenged the consumer level information so many tried to push on HIS show. The day he said ” Get ready for storytime with Kudlow next,” left me in stitches watching kudlow’s discomfort being called out so casually as the shill he works hard not to be discovered as, was priceless.
And yes, i had opined privately that the coarse brush Mr. Haines oft used on those he found lacking in integrity might have made enemies capable of murder: ( predicated upon the fact millions of dollars could be gained or lost with the outcome of just one interview). Despite that notion he was more interested I think, with the subtle thread of life and less with extension of years leaving open the possibility he simply lived until he died.
As we all know, there is only Rick Santelli left who offers any counter point without fear of retribution as the rest have little editorial control even assuming they had concern for actual journalism. In the loss of Mr. Haines unique ability to maintain his personal integrity and commitment to Mode One commerce in an arena filled with shady actors and marginal business plans I fear for the casual observer going forward.
As those in the background control what is allowed to be said; and the character of those folks remarked by the loss of actual confrontational journalism, We all must redouble our help to others during these darkening times and dwindling opportunities to counter the consumer level information proffered in lieu of the obviously lofty benchmark Mr. Haines set forth.
Thank you for giving a part of your time, and website to provide those of us who care a place to remember Mark and to share your own respect of him that you must have to do so.
Cerberus.
Hi Cerberus, I’m not sure your read on the Kudlow thing is right. I think it was meant differently. Remember that Mark loved to make fun of everyone as that was his style of affection. RIck? He is direct and honest but sounds like he’s arguing a bit too much. He would help himself by balancing it out a bit more. Mark was one who could balance the toughness with levity.
I agree with Richard’s comment (7/19), and have stopped watching CNBC, after 20+ years as a 6-8 hour daily viewer. Joe K., Rick S. and Caruso-Cabrerra should be on Fox, along with many other hangers-on. You are right Dr.Durand, Mark was the rock/true anchor of CNBC (Erin was the cute and very smart companion). Sometimes, people can never be truly replaced!
Ken – Thanks for you comment. I think CNBC would learn something by reading these comments. People do want information, but they want it to be delivered in an enjoyable way. ; )
Parenthetically, please call me David. We are all professionals. Hemingway had that insight. I follow it. I use David B. Durand, M.D. because there are too many other Durands on the planet, even David Durands, and use the MD because it fits with my passion here, which is diagnosing the markets. (I explain that philosophy and my diagnostic training on my home page @ SunAndStorm.com.) Just don’t call me Dr. David. ; )
As for me, Mark and Erin were the only reason i still tuned in to CNBC and I haven’t tuned in since that sad morning.
These people are simply irriplacabe
I miss them both ..
Richard W
Richard – I know what you mean. As I’ve written, and many others have as well, their chemistry on the air is at least difficult to replace. You notice them mixing things up by bringing Jim Cramer on in the morning along with Carl, David and Simon with Melissa Lee standing prominently in the center (the picture of the group appears on the show’s webpage now) I like Jim. He’s genuine and responds to investors questions and comments, which is great. He used to send back personal one line emails typed in small case to people when he was based at the Street.com. But Mark had more than experience. He also had a senior statesman-like quality that even Jim was deferential toward. Mark was clearly the rock upon which CNBC stood. A new rock is likely to emerge.
mark was one of 2 good reporters for cnbc. david faber is the other.
I am almost eighty-eight years old and have enjoyed watching CNBC for a very long time. I tune in around 6:00 AM each morning. I cannot begin to tell you how much I miss Mark Haines. He and Erin had a great working relationship and they were able to mix the serious with the not so serious and keep my attention. I was watching them when Erin was bidding him farewell and he interrupted her, took her hand and shared his thoughts with her in a very emotional way. It touched me deeply. In a few days Mark was gone and when the news flashed across the screen I felt like a member of my family or a very dear friend had just died. I think of Mark and Erin every single morning when I turn on CNBC – things are just not the same. I respect many of the hosts as they try to “carry on.” I know it is difficult. My heart goes out to Mark’s family. I know they miss him terribly. He came across as a devoted husband and father to his boys.
Annette Mitchell
July 16, 2011
Hi Annette – Yes, the sequence of Erin leaving then Mark leaving and how they may have been connected is interesting. Some others here have suggested she broke his heart. I suspect it did add to his stress level, but the thing is, as I teach on another site, we are all responsible for our feelings of loss. In life, we need to transcend the feeling of loss and that is the case with investments at times! I wrote an article on the transcendence of fear and greed and you can read it by Googling “fear and greed.” It’s currently #2 on that search. If you want to transcend the loss of Mark or anyone, just think of them and allow the grief to be there. Use the simple process on that “fear and greed” page. You’ll be happier come 6 am Monday. : )
My other site is Live in Presence
Dr. Durand,
I’m glad that you have clarified the cause behind the death of Mark Haines. I’ve been watching Squawk on the Street prior to the time of the financial crisis in 2008. I remember seeing the show when he called the March 2009 bottom dubbed the “Haines bottom” and thought he understands the market based on his years of experience. Recently, I could not watch the show for several months based on a change in my work schedule. When I tuned in again a few weeks ago, I did not see the familiar faces of Mark and Erin. I thought he was on vacation, and she was on assignment. I was sad to learn of his passing and her departure. Even though there are talented new anchors, it is not the same. Alfred Lord Tennyson once wrote: “Tears, Idle Tears, I know not what they mean, / Tears from the depth of some divine despair / Rise in the heart, and gather to the eyes, / In looking on the happy Autumn-fields, / and thinking of the days that are no more.”
Dewey Hall
Hi Dewey, Yes Mark did call that bottom to the day. I happened to have heard him say it. It came to him like any good intuition. A moment of quiet followed by an insight. If you are interested in this sort of intuitive process it is important to get past your fear and greed before investing and trading. I talk about that on my main site at SunAndStorm.com on the Fear and Greed page. (Or you can Google “fear and greed” and I’m about #7.)
With all due respect to the current players, it is not the same. Melissa Lee has promise I think. She comes more to life with the 5 o’clock crew, although I don’t watch that show. Simon Hobbs seems to be rattled most of the time, in a state of fear, although he means well. He needs to learn how to regulate his emotions. He is a nice and bright man, just someone who takes it all a bit too seriously.
I think that is it. You have to be serious without taking it seriously. And have some fun with people. That is where Mark’s kidding and nick naming came in. After all, finance can be pretty dry stuff overall. Erin Burnett was also more relaxed and connected than the current crew. David Faber is the best they have right now in my opinion. Cramer is great in many ways, has a big heart, but is wired to the max. He still pulls it off in my opinion. But nobody at the moment has the Mark Haines touch.
If I were management, I’d start searching for new anchors with a more human and humorous take on the markets. The power of TV is the connection that is made by the host. That is the power of the Big O and it was the power of Mark Haines.
watching both mark and erin were not only informative but and a joy . marks reading thru the b s , stating his opinion which truely was not what management wanted . he was a true
maverick in the industry. he will truely missed.
Bill- Yes, it’s giving the information and the joy that counts.
I miss Mark, I still tune in to CNBC to observe the quotes, and indexes because the numbers are larger than Bloomberg, but then I switch back to Bloomberg now, I miss Mark and Erin, great coworkers, financial equivalent of the Honeymooners, Ralph and Alice, also a rare chemistry, and to my delight (Mark and Erin) laced the program with honest reporting, and interviewing. We all ask so much because we care so much. We were lucky to have them in our homes, it is over now. Goodbye Mark, Erin, Ralph, and Alice. I am running out of life but I hope to see another pair with the same chemistry. Thank you all for your comments, it shows you cared.
Roger – You are welcome. Given the thousands who have read this post and many who have commented, there were clearly a lot of people who cared. What a nice legacy for Mark Haines.
It is somewhat interesting to find so many people so puzzledm concerned and suspicious about the sad death of Mark Haines. He was 65 years old. He ate poorly, was overweight and had a high-stress job in a notoriously stressful profession. His death is hardly surprising when you really think it through. What’s more, there is no reason whatsoever for anyone to have killed him. That simply makes no sense. This blog has done a wonderful job of applying calm reason and fact to this story. Hopefully the public can accept the fact that Mr. Haines simply died, just as many other older, overweight, stressed males do. I am 67, by the way, and a retired journalist. Just so everyone knows.
Hi Ron, Thanks for your comments. As I’ve mentioned before, there is often the need to complicate things that don’t require it.
Dr. Durand —
Thanks so much for this blog. I, too, saw Mark’s very personal farewell to Erin and was deeply touched. I also saw live his curt and appropriate dismissal of Barney Frank, which always makes me smile just thinking about it. And I loved how he could make Simon Hobbs laugh w/the the funny/phony English pronunciation of his name, which I now say out loud now whenever I see Simon on TV. Of course, it was his personal viewpoint towards financial events that was most profound. I remember one time I said to myself: “I can’t believe he just asked that question” because the question was so blunt that no one else would’ve had the guts to ask it.
After Mark’s death I, too, wondered about the cause and researched it on Google — but didn’t follow it up until now. Mark was foremost on my mind when I just got two stents last Friday.
Hi Mike, Good luck with your heart! It’s clear you have one. I’m sure you have been very busy with making medical decisions lately. I believe that the combination of seriousness and levity was what made Mark so appealing as an anchor. His humor and his good-natured kidding in nicknaming everyone on the set made the show come to life.
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Mark had a screwed up back, suffered from it and for quite a while was Dr. forbiidden to go down and report from the floor live. When I heard the bad news I immediately thought “pain meds” and fibrilation problems. I have no first hand knowledge of that and just accept “heart problems” as the cause. Thanks for your sensible post…. I miss Mark and Erin terribly. ~~~~~ Woodenlisten
Howard – Our minds like to make things more interesting than they are at times. It is natural. As for the feeling of missing Mark, judging by the response to this page, you have a lot of company. As for Erin, you’ll apparently find her on CNN at some point. My opinion about her leaving was that she had her sights on the world at large. Financial reporting was not enough and she loves to travel.
Hi, everyone.
Mark is missed; an enormous emptiness and void are present at CNBC and by his many loyal fans and viewers in the world.
Mark’s loved ones are deeply saddened and deserve our respect to allow them to grieve and mourn peacefully. How Mark died is none of our business, it’s obvious his family is intensely private in this matter. If I were in their position, I would hope folks would honor my privacy and pray for Mark’s peace. That is what I’m doing. When you hear or read any of the many rumors about his death, please remember his children and wife and how profoundly painful this is for them. If you’ve ever lost a close loved one, you know just surviving and coming to grips with your pain is excruciating.
It’s natural to want to know how someone passed, especially when it’s sudden. We’ve all learned Mark’s eating and smoking habits were jeopardizing his health – we know to honor his passing by eating more healthily, exercising and stopping any bad habits. It was a wake-up call and has gotten us back to the treadmill.
We thank you, Dr. Durand for following up and providing us with the cause of Mark’s death. We care about Mark and are still in disbelief that we’ll no longer hear his familiar banter and “Live from the financial capital of the world …”
I celebrate Mark’s life and am grateful we had so many mornings to share with him.
We pray for healing for his family and loved ones, and for Mark to rest peacefully.
God’s blessings.
June
June – That morning call of “Live from the financial capital of the world…” must have irritated our European and Asian friends, but it is of course still the truth. I also loved Mark’s delivery of that line! We can honor Mark by contributing to our country’s continued vitality through our inventiveness, which is still unrivaled in the world. Having done basic research successfully at Stanford and the U. of Pennsylvania and seen first hand how science advances our products, we also need to maintain our funding of such truly basic research. Had the NIH not funded the study of enzymes that could cleave DNA at high temperatures, our biotech companies would not have had the tools of discovery. So we’ll remain the financial center of the world if we remain a nation of innovators.
Do you know if Mark was at work 5/23/11 and 5/24/11 ?
Anne – One reader of this blog believes he was out on both Monday and Tuesday night. That has not been verified by CNBC to my knowledge.
Yes, he was off that Mon. and Tues. I know for a fact…..I watched Fri. when he signed off saying he’d see us on Mon. I watched the opening on Mon. …. Melissa and Simon were on, stating Mark was off that day. I watched the beginning on Tues., once again with Melissa and Simon saying he was off that day. Same thing happened Wed. saying he was off. (They found out shortly thereafter, that he died the eve. before.) I watched only the beginnings of Mon. and Tues. and when I heard them say Mark was off, I turned to Bloomberg. On Wed. when I tuned in expecting Mark back, I found he was off and went out to the nursery to buy geraniums. Came home and planted ….turned CNBC back on to just check the markets….and found Memorials to Mark. Devastating news for me….stopped me dead in my tracks!!
So, yes, it’s factual whether CNBC confirms or not…..Mark was off that Mon. and Tues. ( As I saw and heard personally. )
Roz – Thanks for confirming that.
Yes, the questions about his cause of death should be closed, with the report of the medical examiner you mentioned (see reply please).
I searched around on the Internet for an account of his memorial service. I understand this was conducted at the practice field of a school. I would like to read an account of it from someone who was there.
Is there someone here who can tell us where he was buried?
Mark Haines did a wonderful job for us as a reporter and financial news anchor. I watched him for years, and his passing is such a surprise.
Tom – The medical examiner accepted the cause of death submitted on the death certificate made out by Mark’s physician. Just want to be clear that there is no medical examiner autopsy report. As I have explained, the sequence of events was appropriate.
I don’t have information about the place of his burial, but I’ll post this in case someone else does know.
The family requested a private autopsy, which is entirely appropriate in this case. Why? Shouldn’t the county coroner perform the autopsy. The family physician is more likely to lie.
Donald – What was done was appropriate because Mark was known to have serious health issues prior to death, and the medical examiner has the power to release the body on the basis of the death certificate with the stated cause of death as was done in this case. The family physician caring for Mark signed the death certificate. This was the decision of the medical examiner. I have worked with medical examiners before and they are not in the business of lying or permitting a local doctor to lie. They represent the person who died first and foremost, not the family in making that decision. The body was released by the medical examiner for a private autopsy, which is done for the family’s benefit only. The pathologist performing that private autopsy will not lie to the family either. The family has the right to keep the results private, just as your family would. Everything was done according to usual policy.
A few readers seem to believe that things should have been done in some different way than following the procedures simply because Mark was a celebrity. But doesn’t Mark’s family have the same rights as any other family? The system worked as it should have. Again, please understand that just because a patient dies relatively suddenly (within a few days or less) that does not mean the circumstances were suspicious. Fortunately, the celebrity hounds do not decide who gets a government autopsy. Mark’s case was handled appropriately as his family was given the same option that our families would have had.
Dr. Durand,
I don’t think people are questioning the cause of Mark’s death because he died suddenly. Many people died suddenly. I think it’s because of the way the announcement was handled. No cause given and seemingly so guarded as to what happened. For example when Bing Crosby died….it was announced almost immediately, he died from a heart attack. I’m trying to think if there were times when a newsworthy person died that we never heard the cause. I can’t think of one right now; but maybe there were others.
And you (I believe) mentioned that no one in the news business you contacted were interested in straightening out the facts in the cause of death. I found that rather peculiar; especially after all the speculation that ensued. Unless they know the answer and maybe don’t agree with the report. I don’t know. I just found it odd they wouldn’t want to settle the matter, after reporting ad infinitum that no cause of death was given.
Roz- No one was necessarily guarded. The family certainly was not in the limelight along with Mark. We also need to understand the shock people experience in these cases of the sudden passing of family members. Remember also that at the time, they were still awaiting autopsy results, so the family did not have the full story. Paparazzi do not chase CNBC anchors around to snap their pictures while they are out eating. Mark was a celebrity, but mainly to those of us like you and me who follow the investment world closely. Mark was certainly well known, but II don’t think Mark would compare himself in name recognition to Bing Crosby. What I am saying is that the press has been irresponsible in reporting this story, because not enough of the public knew him. That is just a guess. I do find it irresponsible that major news organizations including the biggest worldwide news organization as well as the biggest star chasing news organization still have the story wrong on their websites. Please Tweet and Facebook post the link to the article if you have not yet done so, and we’ll get the news out. Here it is: http://wp.me/p14gPd-eS
Thank you for your intelligent comments. I have been a “fan” for many years of Mark Haines. Although I didn’t watch daily I had the time in recent months to watch more frequently. I was somewhat shocked to see how much Mark had apparently aged over recent months. He did not look well. Bloated and dry looking comes to mind. I am saddened that he was not able to get his health back on track. God Bless you Mark. You certainly didn’t pander to anyone and CNBC will never be the same, or as good, again.
I have tuned in to Mark’s shows since the very beginning many years ago. What’s strange is that a few days prior to his death, I noted to my wife that he “did not look too good”. His color was gone and he had a look of illness. I immediately thought of this when I heard he passed-away. Yes like you I figured with his poor habits of diet, smoking and lack of exercise, a heart attack was probably the cause of death. However, I think the timing of Erin Burnett’s leaving must have been an additional strain on him. They were very fond of one another, it showed on camera…
Roger – Yes it is possible to just take a look at someone and see they are ill. The more intuitive you are the easier this is to do.
It was not necessarily a “heart attack” in the correct use of them that killed him as an arrhythmia could have done that without causing ischemic damage to the heart prior to death.
As far as Erin goes, our personal lives are definitely the source of the greatest stress on our bodies. If you want to read more about how the mind influences the body, take a look at my other website. I deal in consciousness in investing, health, and relationships. Why? They are all connected. The link is http://www.sunandstorminvesting.com/WP-Blog-to-FR.
THANK YOU!!! I loved watching Mark and Erin and am glad to know what happened. I figured a heart attach or stroke anyway but am really glad to know. There are so few people on tv with brains and integrety. Will miss Mark, but there is HOPE with Simmon Hobbs. THANKS AGAIN!!! LINDA
MARK WAS NOT OBESE..WHATS WITH THE OBESE COMMENTS!!!!!OKAY A BIT OVERWEIGHT BUT DONT FORGET TV ADDS 15 LBS!!!HE RELATED TO EVERYDAY PEOPLE HE WAS OUR BOY!!!NOT SOME PHONY FAKE HOLLYWOOD ANCHOR…WELL MISS HIM MORE EVERYDAY……..
Cathy – Even Mark would have admitted he was obese. It’s a medical, not a personal term. If you had asked Mark if he was obese, he would have said yes. He was a straight shooter, genuine as you say. At the level of consciousness, we have to see our flaws to address them. I could name a few public figures recently in the limelight that could have used a dose of self-awareness. But I won’t!
Thanks for your efforts, David. Mark was all about seeking the truth and cutting out obfuscation. I therefore find it ironic that his family has chosen to secret his cause of death. I’m a physician in Boston; “Congestive heart failure due to cardiomegaly” makes NO sense to me. As you know, folks in acute CHF are EXTREMELY uncomfortable because of shortness of breath. Aside from an overt arrhythmia or gross myocardial infarct, he would most likely have been hospitalized as he became more symptomatic. There’s much more to this story, but we may never hear it. Mark would be appalled………
William – It’s possible that he simply resisted dealing with increasing symptoms as we know stoic patients often do – to extremes at times. Remember the story of John Henson, Muppeteer? He waited days to be seen by a doctor for his cough, even insisting on walking into the hospital by himself, after he had become extremely ill. He died of a treatable pneumonia. For Mark, I doubt his family would have listened to any resistance to being hospitalized had he had an overt increase in symptoms. It is possible that the terminal event was an arrhythmia superimposed on a failing dilated heart in congestive heart failure. Again, it is an assumption that the family should have been immediately focused on releasing details to the press. Mark was known to millions of investors, but was not the President. I think we need to allow for individual family differences in how they deal with death. The fact that I broke this story on June 8th and the networks have yet to return my calls or respond to my emails is testimony to the lack of interest in getting the story right. I would agree that Mark would want the story told correctly.
There were a lot of changes going on at CNBC. I am sure in the back of Mark Haines mind was the takeover of NBC by Comcast. A lot of big changes have happened since Comcast took over and with all the anchor desk changes it wouldn’t surprise me if Mr. Haines was feeling that his days at CNBC were going to be numbered.
I have watched CNBC going al the way back to the old FNN. Mark Haines was without a doubt the true jounalist among the lot of them. Marie Bartiromo and the other youngsters have very little going on upstairs beyond parlaying their celebrity into writing very mediocre books. Joe Kernen is a complete joke now.
It seems that CNBC is going to devolve into a pretty face/empty headed anchor desk with the exception of the Englishman {ed. Simon Hobbs} who really knows his stuff and brings a new perspective regarding Europe to all of us.
God bless Mark Haines. We shall never see your kind again in business journalism.
Bruce – I would personally focus on the positive when complimenting Mark. TV hosts usually do not last long without a following and some meaningful brain power. Even Joe Kernen is smarter than he sounds, as hard as he tries to act like a frat brother who just woke up following a night of partying!
My personal opinion is that he was absolutely crushed about Erin Burnett leaving,I will leave it at that,but I have never seen Mark react like he did that Friday.I have been watching CNBC for 30+ years.Broken Heart? I doubt it ,but a contributor ,who knows Erin could make Mark laugh,when no one else could.Enough said…
George – The transition was a potential source of stress of course. How we deal with such stress is a matter that I deal with my other website on how to be conscious not only in investment, but also in life in general. If you are interested, see FullyRealized.com
OK…I stand corrected….I can see your points. And yes, I was a big fan of Mark’s. I loved it when he was on, and more likely than not, if he was off….I’d switch to Bloomberg. I miss him terribly and have watched Squawk for a few min. or so but find it still not my appt. programming, as it was when he was hosting. Maybe in time, I’ll be able to get back into it.
The problem I have with this medical explanation is that it doesn’t fit in with the whole scenario. Mark signed of Fri. saying barring any unforeseen events, he’d see us Mon. ( Which was not cryptic to me as he often used that phrase.) Mon. they said he was off, Tues, they said he was off, and at the beginning of the Wed. program, they said he was off (They were told sometime a little later in the morning that he died.) But what doesn’t fit the picture to me is…..why was he off Mon. and Tues. If he’d phoned in ill, they’d have known he wasn’t well, but it was never mentioned. His co-workers were as shocked as the viewers. Then…..the family not notifying CNBC until after the program aired on Wed.??? That’s strange to me. And then, lastly……if it was the heart diagnosis that he died from….why wouldn’t they have released that? Any other celebrity that dies of natural causes, it’s always said shortlly thereafter….heart attack, stroke, etc. To me, something doesn’t sound right with the whole situation. Why didn’t he come in Mon. and Tues.? Wed. of course he didn’t come because he had died Tues. eve. But for CNBC to have no inkling as to why he was off those days? Strange, strange scenario. I would have no doubt he wasn’t in the best of health, but not disclosing the medical reason of death leads me to believe that it really wasn’t the cause.
Given the diagnosis of congestive heart failure, he may have been out on Mon. and Tues. (which may be the case as you say, but I have not verified it) due to shortness of breath. As the heart fails, back pressure on the lungs increases causing pulmonary edema (fluid in the lungs), which makes it harder to breathe. In addition, when a heart is stressed and tries to pump harder to maintain blood flow, it often dilates to maintain blood pressure (Starling’s Law) and when it dilates, it can then fail leading to death. Arrhythmias may also occur at that point and be the “immediate cause of death” as the medical examiners call it. One thing that the autopsy would have revealed is any ischemic damage to the heart (as in myocardial infarction), but the “cause of death” as stated does not include that. The family’s autopsy may reveal the cause of the cardiomegaly if it was not known previously.
Your assumption that a family would be focused on releasing information to the press after suddenly losing Mark is a bit stringent. He died the evening of the 24th and they notified the station of his death the next day. That seems appropriate. Their focus was on what had just happened to them, their tremendous loss. Doubting the cause of death simply because it was not initially disclosed is also not reasonable, because the family was having a private autopsy conducted. Results from an autopsy can take a while, even weeks, as tissue processing is done and special testing could be required. If done privately, I would assume the time needed for the final report would be less than in a hospital lab that understandably prioritizes tissue samples from the living. But why would the family discuss his death without knowing the results of the autopsy, which had not yet been done? They would not. Perhaps the family will choose to release the results of the autopsy, but that is entirely their choice.
Realize that many diseases are often somewhat silent to outside observers. That is especially true with heart disease unless you witness the patient under conditions of stress, which is what stress testing is about. The fact that we as viewers did not see his health struggle did not mean he did not have one. Clearly he did.
I realize that your intentions are good and you have questions. I sense you liked Mark. Realize that even after an autopsy, there are often unanswered questions. It is left to the living to accept those uncertainties.
Thank you, Dr. Durand, for being the voice of reason on this issue. I’ve searched several sites and finally found yours, the first where actual research has provided real information. I am dismayed by all the suicide rumors, but realize they are probably natural when seeming secrecy surrounds the cause of death in a beloved and respected figure like Mark Haines. You broke through the closed sources and obtained information to help others who are grieving and feel entitled to at least the briefest of explanation. Thank you for your “great work here and the way you presented it.” Just hope it gets widely dispersed on the web.
Anyone can help spread the truth by ReTweeting the link to this page: http://wp.me/p14gPd-eS
I also find it curious that there are so many false rumors scattered over the internet. Let people know. Mark deserves better!
@Gayle: I was only an infrequent watcher of Mark’s program, a couple of hours a month or less. But even at that, what I heard over the years about Mark’s diet SHOCKED me. What was even more shocking was Mark’s attitude about what he ate. I was not aware of the smoking, but his weight issues were obvious. In light of all of this, death from the complications of congestive heart failure makes perfect sense.
@Robert: A few years ago we lost a friend to a sudden hart attack. He had been complaining of various ailments and his immediate family as well as some friends suggested that he go and get checked out, but he never did. Then he died suddenly. Besides the loss, everyone had a profound sense of guilt and personal failure. The symptoms were there, if only we had been more forceful. If only we had not indulged his poor habits…..
While I have no “inside information” it is quite possible that Mark’s family may be having those same feelings. If so, going and publicly announcing what they incorrectly feel is a public admission of their failure may be more than they can handle at this time.
Hi Pilot, Thanks for your comments. The family was aware of Mark’s health problems and eating habits as were the viewers. They had a bag of so-called “junk food” at the center of the table as they spoke about Mark on the day of his death. You cannot force someone to change their eating habits as much as you may love them. You can “cast the bread on the water” in getting those you love to look at the facts if they are willing. I would not attribute failure to the family. My investment philosophy is also based on 100% individual responsibility. The minute we cast blame outside ourselves, we lose. I’m betting Mark would feel the same. It was his diet and his heart to deal with as he chose. Best regards, David
David, I completely agree that one can not blame the family or friends because it is not their fault. Others can point things out and encourage a change, but in the end it is the individual’s life, the individual’s health, the individual’s taste buds and the individual’s decision on how to balance those competing demands.
But having been in the survivor’s shoes, I can tell you that one always asks one’s self the question “What more could I have done?” It takes time for the logical brain to convince the emotional heart that the answer to that question really was “You could not have done any more than you did”
Agreed. To do otherwise is to beat yourself up, which serves no useful purpose.
Thanks for clearing things up. I just don’t understand why the family didn’t just announce the cause of death. Whenever a public figure is involved, the lack of an explanation always leads to speculation. One nut on a blog claimed that Haines was murdered by top secret military weapons! I’m sure that would have given Mark a chuckle.
He is already missed by his friends, family, colleagues, and viewers.
I agree. That is why I respectfully decline to publish comments on the alternative theories here. I have no reason to doubt the medical examiner. I’ve interacted with them for years. Medical examiners are very professional people in my direct experience. When there is no reason to do an autopsy from the ME perspective, they waive the “ME autopsy” and release the patient’s body as was done in this case. The lack of autopsies in this country is an entirely separate issue. A lot of diseases are buried with patients everyday when their families refuse the hospital autopsy. In this case, the family did get a private autopsy, which will answer any questions they need as a family.
Mark was like family to us, everyday, cup of coffee and turn on
Squawk Box. I was not happy CNBC took him off the
anchor job, slap in the face I thought. I am concerned
about what happened to Mark. Maybe I and his legions of
fans don’t deserve an explanation but I am not buying
the Cardiomegaly thing, don’t think you are either.
Something really wrong here but we may never know.
CNBC, very odd they have nothing to say!! He is gone,
yesterdays news! Get someone younger to replace him.
I understand the tendency to have doubts, but I don’t feel the need to speculate. It was admitted by CNBC that Mark had had health challenges, so the cause of death fits, given as I mentioned in the post, his obesity, poor diet, and smoking. But without knowing someone’s entire history and medical workup including echo studies of the heart, I have no basis for further speculation as to the cause of the congestive heart failure and cardiomegaly and what actually caused the cardiomegaly. The lesson learned? Do your best to achieve a reasonable weight if you can, exercise, and eat a healthy diet and you’ll be around longer to follow the markets. Mark was a part of the character of CNBC. They’ve lost a lot by losing Mark.
I agree with Dr. Durand. If you listen to the exchange between Erin and Mark (farewell show), she alludes to his eating and how he may change his diet. This exchange occurs before she gives him the Cheetos lip gloss. Mark is missed by his family and friends and many viewers.
Hi Keith – I’m sure he got plenty of input from CNBC co-workers including Erin as well as family on his diet. His character is what I believe viewers miss most. He moved to the lighter side of things often enough to make his show human and entertaining.
My wife and I have the same feeling for and about Mark. I’ve watched him for years and then my wife started watching and he quickly became her favorite on the show and when he wasn’t there for some reason she would always ask where’s my guy.Bless Mark and we hope he rest in Peace !!! john @ carol..
John,
Financial news can be terribly dry and boring. Mark added both insight AND levity to his work. Maybe that is what you and your wife connected with as well.
Best regards,
David