David Solomon is launching a major charm offensive at Goldman Sachs – and it includes dinner at his place.
The brash Wall Street titan lately has been mired in a rash of bad press over layoffs and skimpy bonuses, his controversial DJ side gig, Goldman’s botched push into consumer banking and even accusations of being “a jerk.”
In response, Goldman’s 61-year-old CEO has been hosting dinner parties for the bank’s key partners at his swanky Soho loft, On The Money has learned.
At one recent soiree at Solomon’s Wooster Street penthouse, more than a dozen black SUVs clogged both sides of the cobblestoned block all the way to Prince Street so attendees could make a quick getaway, a source said.
“He is trying to do the right thing,” one insider said, applauding Solomon for making the effort.
Nevertheless, others say the dinners might not be achieving their intended effect. Dinner guests filtered out of the recent affair — which was over around 9 p.m. — with solemn looks on their faces, according to the source.
“They certainly didn’t seem that happy,” the source added.
Indeed, top executives at the firm dutifully attend dinner at David’s in the hopes of building camaraderie with their embattled leader. Another insider described one event as “forced” and “awkward”.
Adding to the uncomfortable ambiance: attendees wear name tags.
A source who caught guests filtering out of a recent dinner told On The Money that security guards demanded they return the name tags in an apparent effort to keep the event mum.
Another source agreed the dinners felt phony, opining that Solomon is simply trying to hang onto his perch as CEO rather than genuinely build relationships with underlings.
“He’s doing it five years too late,” the source added.
In a statement, global head of corporate communications Tony Fratto said, “David meets with partners in lots of ways all around the world. That’s not news. It would be news if he didn’t meet with partners.”
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