Straight to Hell: True Tales of Deviance, Debauchery, and Billion-Dollar Deals

A Felonious Mentality

He was born on third base and scored on a wild pitch, but at least he can convince his friends (and himself) that he hit a triple and stole home. The ends justify the means; that’s an important concept to understand if you want to be successful on Wall Street, and is one that boarding school taught me well.

Who you know is as important as what you do and how you are perceived is more important than any reality.

The Parental Visit

…in the universe of people who actually matter, investment bankers are still close to the bottom.

Vocabulary

• Abetted - encourage or assist (someone) to do something wrong, in particular, to commit a crime or other offense
• Spivs - a man, typically characterized by flashy dress, who makes a living by disreputable dealings.
• Teetotaler - a person who never drinks alcohol.
• Sycophantic - behaving or done in an obsequious way in order to gain advantage
• Sanctimonious - making a show of being morally superior to other people
• Effeminate - (of a man) having or showing characteristics regarded as typical of a woman; unmanly.
• Reticence - the quality of being reticent; reserve