My grandfather was successful professionally and financially, and he had a recognized and respected place in his community. His broad range of involvements—especially in politics—made his life more varied and interesting. Gus Levy was another model of a multifaceted, externally engaged professional life. Gus’s day job was running Goldman Sachs, but he had worlds outside the firm. Gus served as chairman of the board at Mount Sinai Medical Center, sat on the boards of cultural organizations such as Lincoln Center and the Museum of Modern Art, and was a major fund-raiser for and confidant of Republican politicians. His range of friends and contacts was enormous; Gus knew, or appeared to know, everyone who was anyone in business and politics, including President Richard Nixon and New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller. “There are really six Gus Levys,” the CEO of a major bank said. “At night they put on their tuxedos and fan out around the city.” I had no desire to emulate Gus’s peripatetic social life.
What do You think about In An Uncertain World (2003)?
