Some of this debt may take the form of convertible bonds that convert at a specific trigger-point: Credit Suisse issued SFr3.8 billion ($3.9 billion) of this sort of debt on July 18th.
Lehman Brothers gave Livedoor the money in exchange for "death spiral" convertible bonds, which give Lehman the right to convert the bonds into shares at a constant discount to the share price.
Things have grown a bit more sophisticated since the days when players bought a pub as a pension scheme: offshore hedge funds and convertible stock options are more the financial order of things.
Burnham's life change is signalled by body building in his garage, blaring Pink Floyd from his flash new convertible, smoking grass outside a stuffy works party and a lusty pursuit of his daughter's cheerleader classmate (Mena Suvari).
Wages are as low as 400 convertible marks (£160) a month.
While tourists paid 25 convertible pesos (£17), Cubans were charged just 20 Cuban pesos (60p), making the performances widely accessible to the local population.
You may even fancy zipping about in the latest – convertible – Mini Cooper S. Whichever car you choose, this touring holiday features beautiful scenery on a circular route from Edinburgh, passing whisky heartland Speyside, Loch Ness, Ben Nevis and the Glencoe valley, and nights in boutique hotels.
Since 1994 it has used a weak peso, in which Cubans are paid, and a "convertible" peso, pegged to the dollar, for trade and tourism.
But after conversion of a convertible bond, Prisa's banks will own 16% of the shares, more than the founding Polanco family.
They are the Cuban peso, which most people use, and the convertible peso (CUC), worth about $1, which is a dollar substitute used by individuals in tourism, for remittances and in the private sector.
A trickier change is unifying Cuba's two currencies state firms use a "convertible peso" at parity to the dollar while wages are paid in Cuban pesos, worth barely four cents.
