Recommended by: WiseSuit Staff 

David Rockefeller once called André Meyer "the most creative financial genius of our time in the investment banking world."

In 1966, Fortune magazine called André Meyer "the most important investment banker of the Western world."

Every serious executive in the finance world, especially in the investment banking field, must study the work and legacy of André Meyer. From his luxury suite on the thirty-third floor of New York's Carlyle Hotel, he built the investment bank, Lazard Frères.

He was known as "The Picasso of Banking" and "The Incomparable Investor," and he considered investment banking to be the work of kings. His most notable achievement was his ability to completely and single-handedly revitalize American business after World War II. Business legends like Gianni Agnelli (Head of Italian conglomerate Fiat), Felix Rohatyn (Lazard partner) and David Sarnoff (Head of RCA) all benefited from the Midas touch of André Meyer.

The author, Cary Reich, presents a fascinating portrait of an eccentric, energetic, and charming businessman who was a trusted advisor of the Kennedys and an intimate of William Paley (Chairman of CBS) and Katherine Graham (Chairwoman of the Washington Post Co.).

Reich recounts Meyer's immigration from Nazi-occupied France, gives insider accounts of his legendary financial acumen expressed in the details of some of his high-profile business deals. Many of Meyer's lasting business legacies are now household names, including Lazard Frères, Avis and Holiday Inn.

Reviews:

"A fascinating mix of financial history involving household names of the corporate scene, gossip at rarefied altitudes and big bucks. The focus is on people, mutual back-scratching, wheeling and dealing through the conglomerate jungle." - The Wall Street Journal

About the Author:

Cary Reich is the former executive editor of Institutional Investor. His most recent book, The Life of Nelson A. Rockefeller, was a finalist for the National Book Award. Reich is the recipient of numerous journalism awards, including the Overseas Press Award and the John Hancock Award for Excellence in Business and Financial Journalism.

Categories:  Leadership ,  Biography,  Corporate Finance