Now, AnnaMaria Andriotis of The Wall Street Journal has detailed more of the tensions inside Goldman. nearly 24 years after the firm went public. And many of its roughly 420 partners, she writes,"think they're just as important as the CEO." Solomon has been having partners and their spouses over to his Manhattan apartment for food and drinks and has held small retreats with them, all in an effort to form better ties with them.
John Rogers, Goldman's secretary to the board and a longtime partner, has told Solomon, according to unidentified people familiar with the matter, that his DJing side gig was not the right image for a top Wall Street CEO. Rich Friedman, a partner since 1990, complained about Solomon's plan to merge private equity, credit, and real estate in the merchant banking unit with Goldman's"special situations group." Both businesses make investments with the firm's own money to a certain extent. The Journal reports that Solomon went ahead, and Friedman threatened to quit, although he was eventually persuaded to stay.
The former CEO, Lloyd Blankein, has reportedly told other partners that Solomon needs to focus more on his day job and less on his hobbies. Goldman spokesman Tony Fratto told the Journal that the differences of opinion were healthy. The disagreements, he said, "show partners and business leaders engaging with David on strategy and initiatives." Subscribe to push notifications