• 12 Apr 2010 at 5:13 PM

Vikram Pandit: Wine Connoisseur

By

Well into the crisis period, when banks such as Citigroup were operating on federal investment and when Citi’s stock was in single digits, Vikram Pandit, the CEO, was observed with a lunch guest at Le Bernardin, one of the top-rated restaurants in New York. Pandit looked discerningly at the wine list, saw nothing by the glass that appealed, and ordered a $350 bottle so that, as he explained, he could savor “a glass of wine worth drinking.” Pandit drank just one glass; his friend had none.

Please tell me he made a big show of swishing it around in his mouth, inhaling it with his eyes closed, sending back the first bottle and backhanding the idiot waiter. Please tell me all that.

Book Excerpt: Roger Lowenstein’s “The End of Wall Street” [BusinessWeek]

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Comments (14)

  1. 1
    Posted by Anonymous | April 12, 2010 at 5:18 PM

    BL’s tags FTW.

  2. 2
    Posted by Rob Rubin | April 12, 2010 at 5:20 PM

    I didnt have wine because I was driving that day. In all defense to Viki, he didnt know that.
    -RR

  3. 3
    Posted by Anonymous | April 12, 2010 at 5:21 PM

    just as i posted that the best tag was removed and instead put into the article body.

  4. 4
    Posted by Bess Levin | April 12, 2010 at 5:22 PM

    @3 I know I’m sorry I just felt it was too good to hide (also I added a little bit to it, namely the closed eyes inhaling).

  5. 5
    Posted by CoveredLong | April 12, 2010 at 5:23 PM

    To put Roger’s slandering and misrepresentation into context…this was his bonus, and he only had one glass because the rest was deferred.

  6. 6
    Posted by american bandersnatch | April 12, 2010 at 5:35 PM

    I want a ceo with smooth liquidation
    I want a ceo with good dividends
    At Citi Bank he will take over from the prince
    He will start to talk when he borrows from the fed window
    He wants a glass of wine worth drinking
    He wants a nice piece of fish at Le B
    He is changing his name from Vik to Pandito
    He is trading Old Lane for a large bank
    I want a ceo short on skills but
    looooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooong on tickleability

  7. 7
    Posted by Anonymous | April 12, 2010 at 5:36 PM

    Bess,
    He made a big show of swishing it around in his mouth, inhaling it with his eyes closed, sending back the first bottle and backhanding the idiot waiter.

    I know this because I drank the bottle after he left.

    - Ex-2nd year tech analyst at CS

  8. 8
    Posted by Mitch Cumstein | April 12, 2010 at 5:41 PM

    Very nice work @7.

  9. 9
    Posted by Anonymous | April 12, 2010 at 6:16 PM

    @6 A worthy effort.

  10. 10
    Posted by anon | April 12, 2010 at 6:17 PM

    Good on ya @7.

    Bess,

    Please add picture of Viki’s head photo-shoped onto Miles’ (paul g.)head getting into the grape…

    And who the fuck does order by the glass? What a waste. Either drink hard alcohol or order a bottle.

  11. 11
    Posted by Windows on the World | April 13, 2010 at 7:14 AM

    Having actually been in the racks with the Windows on the World cellar master, I know exactly what happened next. The waiter and wine staff drank an excellent bottle of wine, for free, and laughed.

  12. 12
    Posted by Anonymous | April 13, 2010 at 8:35 AM

    @11- Too soon.

  13. 13
    Posted by Seaman Bodine | April 13, 2010 at 9:04 AM

    he thought is was rupees, you guys are such racists

  14. 14
    Posted by Anonymous | April 13, 2010 at 10:20 AM

    so particular

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