Comments on: Rohatyn’s values a distant prospect on Wall Street http://blogs.reuters.com/breakingviews/2010/10/29/rohatyns-values-a-distant-prospect-on-wall-street/ Mon, 17 Jun 2013 22:19:50 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.2 By: midasw http://blogs.reuters.com/breakingviews/2010/10/29/rohatyns-values-a-distant-prospect-on-wall-street/comment-page-1/#comment-4487 midasw Mon, 01 Nov 2010 23:05:19 +0000 http://blogs.reuters.com/columns/?p=4463#comment-4487 What set Felix apart from Andre Meyer was that the latter really was greedy, for power of the Svengali type as much as for lucre, while Felix relished the intellectual and psychological challenges implicit in deal-making. What set Felix apart from Andre Meyer was that the latter really was greedy, for power of the Svengali type as much as for lucre, while Felix relished the intellectual and psychological challenges implicit in deal-making.

]]> By: Laocoon http://blogs.reuters.com/breakingviews/2010/10/29/rohatyns-values-a-distant-prospect-on-wall-street/comment-page-1/#comment-4479 Laocoon Mon, 01 Nov 2010 16:22:10 +0000 http://blogs.reuters.com/columns/?p=4463#comment-4479 Some perspective needs to be added here from another old-timer. Apart from the old days of the private partnerships, "relationships" are an overlooked context of dealmaking. Relationships are part of the ethical context of the deal, as well as the game theory perspective of know your opposition. This context is overlooked today when everyone sees deals solely as technology and numbers. Certainly that's important, but many times the goals, worldview and psychology of the participants [Dick Fuld, anyone?] can be big drivers of the outcome. You're a little harsh on the Congressional hearing aspect also. It really was different. There wasn't 24/7 news coverage. So most hearings limited [but not eliminated] adversarial/headline moments, and were informational, if biased from the presenters and questioners. Most hearings were much more restrained and not as constantly nasty as we see today. Points were made, and disagreements noted, without the constant personal destruction. Felix was working in a very different culture than the psychology of the business/government world today. Some perspective needs to be added here from another old-timer.

Apart from the old days of the private partnerships, “relationships” are an overlooked context of dealmaking. Relationships are part of the ethical context of the deal, as well as the game theory perspective of know your opposition. This context is overlooked today when everyone sees deals solely as technology and numbers. Certainly that’s important, but many times the goals, worldview and psychology of the participants [Dick Fuld, anyone?] can be big drivers of the outcome.

You’re a little harsh on the Congressional hearing aspect also. It really was different. There wasn’t 24/7 news coverage. So most hearings limited [but not eliminated] adversarial/headline moments, and were informational, if biased from the presenters and questioners. Most hearings were much more restrained and not as constantly nasty as we see today. Points were made, and disagreements noted, without the constant personal destruction.

Felix was working in a very different culture than the psychology of the business/government world today.

]]> By: worthington http://blogs.reuters.com/breakingviews/2010/10/29/rohatyns-values-a-distant-prospect-on-wall-street/comment-page-1/#comment-4477 worthington Mon, 01 Nov 2010 13:45:35 +0000 http://blogs.reuters.com/columns/?p=4463#comment-4477 In 2009 our small business needed cash to take advantage of an opportunity created by the recession. Bank of America had a formula and no interest in discussing our business or its potential. Commerce Bank (St. Louis) wanted to discuss our business in detail. We made the loan with Commerce and 2010 sales are up about 3X versus 2009. Mr. Rohatyn's view of investment banking has direct relevance to market recovery. In 2009 our small business needed cash to take advantage of an opportunity created by the recession. Bank of America had a formula and no interest in discussing our business or its potential. Commerce Bank (St. Louis) wanted to discuss our business in detail. We made the loan with Commerce and 2010 sales are up about 3X versus 2009. Mr. Rohatyn’s view of investment banking has direct relevance to market recovery.

]]> By: hgwhuld http://blogs.reuters.com/breakingviews/2010/10/29/rohatyns-values-a-distant-prospect-on-wall-street/comment-page-1/#comment-4454 hgwhuld Sat, 30 Oct 2010 07:50:11 +0000 http://blogs.reuters.com/columns/?p=4463#comment-4454 The focus on relationships over deals is, of course, in keeping with the philosophy Rohatyn learned from Meyer. The ingrained values date from a time of relatively small, private investment banking partnerships, where the partners’ money The focus on relationships over deals is, of course, in keeping with the philosophy Rohatyn learned from Meyer. The ingrained values date from a time of relatively small, private investment banking partnerships, where the partners’ money

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