Kim Weathers, CEO of Southwest Idaho Bank and Trust, has decided to retain the bank’s corporate jet at a time most of the bank’s competitors have sold theirs. The bank has built a reputation for being an expert in taking care of the needs of a diverse, specialized segment of customers such as cattle ranchers in Montana and western Texas as well as almond growers in California. Ms. Weathers has determined that the bank’s executives, including her, need to be able to travel to meet with her clients on short notice, and the only way to be able to do this is to retain the corporate jet.

Stock analysts, wary of the bank’s decision to retain the jet, estimated that the bank generated an additional $26,000,000 in revenue in 2019 that the bank otherwise would not have made if it hadn’t kept the jet. External accountants were able to compute the all-in cost of the jet to the company in 2019 as being $20,000,000. There is no evidence the jet was used on non-official bank business.

Is this an Agency problem? (yes or no)

Why is this or is this not an agency problem? (1-2 sentences)

Is there an agency cost involved? (yes or no)

If there is an agency cost involved, describe it, and indicate whether it is a direct or indirect cost. (1-2 sentences)

If it is an agency problem, what could be done to alleviate or prevent it? (1-2 sentences)