wnyc.org / 93.9fm / am 820

Adam, I agree that 'Charlie' is so full of it and annoying.

But so is every other investment banker or consultant I've met.

What's the point of wasting a half hour on his drivel.

One more reason not to donate to wnyc.

This guy should dig a little deeper. CEOs compensation is not based on what it takes to retain top talent. Their outrageous compensation is instead based on "benchmarking" against other firms. It's a fixed, inside game. Benchmark against the top when compensating executives and benchmark against the bottom when cutting pensions, cutting healthcare, outsourcing jobs, etc.

This guy is so full of it!

This guy is a hump. Does he think anyone is buying this bull about the basis for paying ceo's/exec. their outrageous salaries??

Wall Street's best maxim:

"Bulls make money. Bears make money. Pigs get slaughtered."

We know who the pigs are now.

This guy is such an arrogant and annoying character. His love of banking is amazingly amusing and his lack of respect for people who don't find work the end-all, be-all is cringe worthy.

And I totally agree with Upstream. What benefit does Goldman provide someone who's not an institutional investor or CEO?

Lenny,

I love you for having the chutzpah to question the profundity of the sacred Goldman Commandments! Thank you, Lenny, for providing some much needed perspective. (If his inflated head explodes all over the studio, I'll come help clean it up...)

did deregulation permitting commercial banks to engage in investment banking create a game of chicken between commercial and investment banks?

just what did this feller consult on for 30 yrs? so what service or product can we thank him for?

How long ago was this gentleman a consultant for these various financial firms?

Was he advising any of these companies whilst they were making all these complicated, devious and bad investments?

If so, what was his advice during this period, if any?

How, and how large, was his compensation during this period?

And lastly, if he was a consultant with all these companies that went under, should we take the things that he says with a large grain of salt (except for the historical parts)?

ha ha! great to find out our economy turned out to be a zero sum game. love this guy but wouldn't want to play poker w him...

A real treat to hear Charlie Ellis. I have his classic at home "Winning the Losers Game"

Did these financial institutions with the Toxic securities follow the rules from your magnificent book?

Also isn't there an inherent conflicts of interest when it's in the taxpayers best interest that the gov't get the lowest price possible for the securities, but banks who you are trying to save require the highest price possible.

is there going to be any discussion of the noDoc documents?
i was listening to Maxinne Waters on Tavis Smiley last night, and she mentioned that these will be included in the $700B bailout. [Paulson is from Goldman, hmmmm..]

Aren't these noDoc documents actually deceptive - hiding finance statements, known info to the company higher uppers- and maybe should be part of the FBI investigation? Why would a company with such a sterling reputation resort to this sort of deception? [besides the obvious, greed and fear]