By Kim Velsey 1/15 12:28pm

Manhattan Transfers

The living room.

Another Day, Another Goldman Sachs Exec, Another Gwathmey Penthouse Sale

You might think that the sale of a magnificent Charles Gwathmey-designed penthouse on Central Park would be as rare as spotting an Iceland Gull in the manicured greensward below. But this year two Gwathmey masterpieces changed hands. What’s more, the sellers were both Goldman Sachs men. (And, for the record, on December 17, an Iceland Gull sighting was confirmed at the Reservoir).

On New Year’s Eve, Goldman Sachs vice chair J. Michael Evans sold his Charles Gwathmey-designed Park Laurel penthouse at 15 West 63rd Street for $23.7 million, city records show. Mr. Evans slipped in just before the capital gains tax jumped up, saving him considerable cash given that he purchased the 11-room condo for just $10.3 million back in 2003 from Bradford Weston, another Goldman Sachs man. Read More

By Patrick Clark 10/29/12 7:51am

considering sandy

NYSESecurity

On Second Thought, Stock Exchanges Closed for Storm

In the end, U.S. stock markets decided to heed the storm.

The New York Stock Exchange had planned to open trading electronically while shuttering its physical trading floor. “We are open for business and at the same time acting in accordance with actions taken by the city and state of New York,” said NYSE CEO Duncan L. Niederauer said in a release yesterday afternoon.

But NYSE reversed course  last night, announcing it would halt operations completely. The exchange is closed today, and may close tomorrow, “pending confirmation,” according to a release.

Nasdaq is also closed today; “it is likely that the markets will be closed” tomorrow, the exchange said in a release.

Bond markets will open, but the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association recommended that markets close at noon today. Read More

By Patrick Clark 10/19/12 1:49pm

Advance Notice

GS Greg Smith

Goldman Sachs Human Resources Boss Reports ‘No Merit’ to Greg Smith’s Claims

Another day, another leaked passage from Greg Smith’s forthcoming Why I Left Goldman Sachs, and another issuance from 200 West St. on the credibility of Mr. Smith’s claims.

At Bloomberg Television, Erik Schatzker and Stephanie Ruhle followed yesterday’s reporting on the results of Goldman’s internal investigations (bankers like Jim Henson!), with an interview today with Edith Cooper, global head of human capital management at the firm. Read More

By Kim Velsey 10/10/12 10:22am

Manhattan Transfers

The Bayard Street building.

Former Corzine Confidant, MF Global Exec Bradley Abelow Grabs $1 M. Burg Pad Overlooking McCarren Park

It is one thing for a young banker to move to Williamsburg. It is an expected, if unfortunate, product of gentrification. But what does it say when a former Goldman Sachs boss and New Jersey political hand drops a million bucks on a Burg condo?

While former New Jersey governor Jon Corzine distracted himself from the whole MF Global scandal with plans for a new hedge fund (who wouldn’t like to think of making millions after you lose billions?), his former chief of staff, Goldman buddy and MF Global second-in-command Bradley Abelow decided to pick up another home, a condo on Karl Fisher Row overlooking the track and field at McCarren Park. Read More

By Patrick Clark 10/09/12 12:17pm

Mr. Nice Guy?

harvey

Everyone Loves Goldman Sachs’ Harvey Schwartz

Which is not to say that we’d expect Goldman to assign the role of chief financial officer to an executive lacking in lovable qualities, only that Harvey Schwartz is going to have a hard enough time living up to the standard set by the firm’s current CFO David Viniar, to say noting of all the nice things people are saying and writing about him.

The outpouring began last month, when Goldman announced that Mr. Schwartz would succeed Mr. Viniar at the beginning of next year. Former SEC Chairman Arthur Levitt told The Journal that the Federal Reserve would love Mr. Schwartz’s “no-nonsense demeanor and sense of humor.“ The Times called him “affable and brawny.”  Read More