Rob Maguire did what?

The founder of Maguire Properties - the same guy who was thrown out as chairman and CEO last May - has bought a bigger stake in the real estate investment trust - and he might buy more, perhaps the rest of the outstanding shares. Between his stock and operating partnership units, Maguire now owns 19.4 percent of the place, making him the largest individual common equity owner. To summarize, Maguire Properties, the largest owner and operator of downtown office properties, had been on and off the block several times, with Maguire himself wanting to buy the company. Eventually a bunch of hedge fund investors got ticked off when the company turned down a buyout offer for $20.25 a share - and then saw the stock tumble (it's now at $2.25). Despite Maguire's ouster, the board gave him a $2.8 million payout and an annual $750,000 allowance to pay for his office, assistants and a driver. Nice. (WSJ, LABJ)