Who Is the Last Survivor of 9/11 and What Are the Key Facts
The last survivor pulled from the rubble at the World Trade Center site on September 11, 2001, was a 20-year-old Port Authority police officer named Genelle Guzman-McMillan. She was trapped for approximately 27 hours beneath the collapsed towers and was rescued after the attacks ended. Her survival became a symbol of the event's human toll and the subsequent long-term health and financial challenges faced by responders and survivors.
Her rescue highlighted the massive scale of the disaster, which killed nearly 3,000 people and injured thousands. The financial response included the creation of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund, which has paid out billions to those affected. The fund's administration and the ongoing health monitoring for responders have become central to the financial legacy of the attacks.
Financial Compensation and the Victim Compensation Fund
The September 11th Victim Compensation Fund (VCF) was reauthorized multiple times, with the most recent extension ensuring payments continue through 2090 for those with certified 9/11-related conditions. As of the latest reports, the fund has awarded over $23 billion in compensation to more than 70,000 claimants for physical injuries and respiratory illnesses linked to the dust and debris.
The fund is administered by the Special Master and is financed through claims against the airlines and other entities, not taxpayer dollars. The process requires medical certification of conditions tied to the attacks, and payouts are structured based on the severity of injury and economic loss. This financial mechanism has become a critical safety net for first responders and survivors with long-term health impacts.
Market Impact, Insurance, and Corporate Responses
The immediate financial market impact of the 9/11 attacks included the closure of the New York Stock Exchange for four days, the longest closure since the Great Depression. The insurance industry faced unprecedented claims, leading to the creation of the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act (TRIA) in 2002, a federal backstop that has been renewed multiple times to share the cost of large-scale terrorist attacks between the government and insurers.
Major corporations headquartered near the World Trade Center, including Cantor Fitzgerald and Marsh McLennan, suffered massive losses and had to rebuild their operations. Cantor Fitzgerald lost 658 employees and rebuilt its business over the following years, while the insurance broker Marsh McLennan restructured its operations. The rebuilding of the World Trade Center complex itself, led by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, represents one of the largest urban redevelopment projects in U.S. history, with One World Trade Center becoming the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere.