Please answer the given financial question based on the context.
Context: corporate/other corporate/other includes global staff functions ( includes finance , risk , human resources , legal and compliance ) and other corporate expense , global operations and technology ( o&t ) , residual corporate treasury and corporate items . at december 31 , 2009 , this segment had approximately $ 230 billion of assets , consisting primarily of the company 2019s liquidity portfolio , including $ 110 billion of cash and cash equivalents. .
|in millions of dollars|2009|2008|2007|
|net interest revenue|$ -1663 ( 1663 )|$ -2680 ( 2680 )|$ -2008 ( 2008 )|
|non-interest revenue|-8893 ( 8893 )|422|-302 ( 302 )|
|total revenues net of interest expense|$ -10556 ( 10556 )|$ -2258 ( 2258 )|$ -2310 ( 2310 )|
|total operating expenses|$ 1420|$ 510|$ 1813|
|provisions for loan losses and for benefits and claims|-1 ( 1 )|1|-3 ( 3 )|
|( loss ) from continuing operations before taxes|$ -11975 ( 11975 )|$ -2769 ( 2769 )|$ -4120 ( 4120 )|
|income taxes ( benefits )|-4369 ( 4369 )|-587 ( 587 )|-1446 ( 1446 )|
|( loss ) from continuing operations|$ -7606 ( 7606 )|$ -2182 ( 2182 )|$ -2674 ( 2674 )|
|income ( loss ) from discontinued operations net of taxes|-445 ( 445 )|4002|708|
|net income ( loss ) before attribution of noncontrolling interests|$ -8051 ( 8051 )|$ 1820|$ -1966 ( 1966 )|
|net income attributable to noncontrolling interests|2014|2014|2|
|net income ( loss )|$ -8051 ( 8051 )|$ 1820|$ -1968 ( 1968 )|
2009 vs . 2008 revenues , net of interest expense declined , primarily due to the pretax loss on debt extinguishment related to the repayment of the $ 20 billion of tarp trust preferred securities and the pretax loss in connection with the exit from the loss-sharing agreement with the u.s . government . revenues also declined , due to the absence of the 2008 sale of citigroup global services limited recorded in o&t . this was partially offset by a pretax gain related to the exchange offers , revenues and higher intersegment eliminations . operating expenses increased , primarily due to intersegment eliminations and increases in compensation , partially offset by lower repositioning reserves . 2008 vs . 2007 revenues , net of interest expense increased primarily due to the gain in 2007 on the sale of certain corporate-owned assets and higher intersegment eliminations , partially offset by improved treasury hedging activities . operating expenses declined , primarily due to lower restructuring charges in 2008 as well as reductions in incentive compensation and benefits expense. .
Question: what was the percentage change in total operating expenses between 2008 and 2009?


Answer: The answer is:1.78431