FinancialTrading.com’s 10 Most Influential People in Finance
8. Lloyd Blankfein
There are many varying opinions of Lloyd Blankfein across the industry and indeed the public due to his high profile, however the influence that comes with his position cannot be overlooked. Blankfein became the Chairman and CEO of Goldman Sachs in 2006, taking over from Henry Paulson. In that same year he made an impressive $54m, making him one of the highest paid men on Wall Street.
He has become rather well known for instilling a somewhat ruthless approach to business at Goldman Sachs, as noted by the FInancial Times in 2009, when they named him their “Person of the Year”, saying, “His bank has stuck to its strengths, unashamedly taken advantage of the low interest rates and diminished competition resulting from the crisis to make big trading profits.”
He has faced public criticism from activists, the media at large and even former employee’s. Nonetheless, he has continued to run the company in a no-nonsense, profit first manner and ultimately, that’s his job description.
