As most of civilized society knows, it’s considered pretty classless to mistreat waiters or waitresses, and a pretty fool-proof indication of your character. In fact, there’s only one acceptable way to act like an insufferable prick to a person waiting on you, and that’s beginning a meal by whipping out a stack of singles and telling the server, “Let’s establish something. You are, I assume, expecting a tip? This pile of one dollar bills represents your potential tip. Every time you please me, you’ll see the pile grow. However, if I am unsatisfied– if you are slow, mouthy, or sneeze into your hands– you’ll notice the pile shrinking. Alright? Good luck.” This was not how a young Bill Gross went about things, based on an anecdote he recounts in his latest letter to investors called “The Day When I Gave the Waitress a Negative Tip.”

The Gross family legend is rather full of Paul Bunyan tall tales passed down over the years but none perhaps more self- revealing than “The Day When I Gave the Waitress a Negative Tip.” Admittedly I was young and full of testosterone but the service was terribly sloooww and I was in a big hurrrryyy! Finally presented with a $2.00 bill, I took two bucks and wrote the following on a nearby napkin: “Thanks for the sh…ty service, negative tip – you owe me 25 cents.” I didn’t stick around to see the reaction, but I’m sure it was a unique experience for the young lady. I was, of course, like any 21-year-old, in the business of establishing a repertoire of “unique” experiences and this was but one notch on my Paul Bunyan Axe.

Meaning there are more stories like this one? Must we wait until next month to hear them?

Two-Bits, Four-Bits, Six-Bits, A Dollar

Comments (27)

  1. Posted by Guessst | March 2, 2011 at 6:07 PM

    So the moral of the story is that if you dont want to grow up to be a creepy, rich old man who tells investors about the thoughts he has while shitting… you should nail the waitress instead of not tipping them?

  2. Posted by AZP | March 2, 2011 at 6:35 PM

    Bring back the ‘Stache!
    Otherwise I have no concerns

  3. Posted by Tarsus4 | March 2, 2011 at 7:13 PM

    What a douche.

  4. Posted by shorestyle | March 2, 2011 at 7:19 PM

    Gee, BG being a prick to somons? Shockingly I’m not surprised

  5. Posted by jim simons | March 2, 2011 at 7:30 PM

    When I was young this waitress gave me this look, you know. So I took the knife and made her smile. Few years later I killed few hookers, but what the fuck I’m not bragging about this nonsense to my clients.

  6. Posted by Dumbass Oil Trader | March 2, 2011 at 7:38 PM

    Financial predators like to play with their food.

  7. Posted by Soco | March 2, 2011 at 7:53 PM

    His ex lovers have to sleep with two men at a time to make up for “lost time” with him

    -Dick Fulds Five

  8. Posted by Aarrgghhh | March 2, 2011 at 8:04 PM

    he says it like he is proud of it, and glad his son is following in his footsteps. what a POS. when his fund underperforms because of macro factors he can’t control, i hope someone takes all incentive income away from him and gives him a bill for 25% of what it would have been if things had gone well.

  9. Posted by Anonymous | March 2, 2011 at 8:43 PM

    The Day When Nails Wrote a Check…

  10. Posted by Anonymous | March 2, 2011 at 8:43 PM

    The Day When Nails Wrote a Check…

  11. Posted by Know How Waitresses Think | March 2, 2011 at 8:44 PM

    I’m sure when the waitress saw the original stack of bills and got the lecture, she added a few pubes to his burger. I declare her the winner.

  12. Posted by Know How Waitresses Think | March 2, 2011 at 8:44 PM

    I’m sure when the waitress saw the original stack of bills and got the lecture, she added a few pubes to his burger. I declare her the winner.

  13. Posted by Anonymous | March 2, 2011 at 9:23 PM

    how do multiple r’s and y’s indicate a hurry? Slowww i get but how the hell do you say hurrrryyyy. Sounds like Serena Williams describing her pits.

  14. Posted by Guest | March 2, 2011 at 9:37 PM

    Where is Ping when we really need him?

  15. Posted by Pube_collector | March 2, 2011 at 9:37 PM

    Was it a good looking waitress?

  16. Posted by Freebird | March 2, 2011 at 10:14 PM

    so he cocked her out of the 30 cents/15% ? ……what era was this.

  17. Posted by Guest | March 2, 2011 at 10:33 PM

    this explains the ‘stache’?

  18. Posted by Anonymous | March 2, 2011 at 11:51 PM

    I see that your math skills are on par with your reading comprehension skills. He stiffed her for a quarter, which is 12.5%.

  19. Posted by HAM | March 3, 2011 at 12:09 AM

    almost as good as the story about the Horizon Asset Management president who says that he fished a quarter out of a copy machine with a fishing line

  20. Posted by Guest | March 3, 2011 at 12:52 AM

    That’s the part that I found the most off-putting– that he definitely sounded proud of the story and not really remorseful at all (and then brags that this was par for the course for him back then?). Also, 21 years old is old enough to know how to treat people decently.

  21. Posted by Asfadf | March 3, 2011 at 6:42 AM

    Typical Wall Street douchebag. Finds it easier to berate a woman than to talk to her like a real man. Bill Gross, you can kiss my ass.

  22. Posted by Charlie | March 9, 2011 at 6:57 PM

    Is it me or is this guy coming unglued? Lot of crazy rants lately, he may be on something.

  23. Posted by GuySpurnedByBess | March 9, 2011 at 9:03 PM

    WTF. Tip is not a right. It has to be earned. Way to go BG.Stiff the waiters

  24. Posted by GuySpurnedByBess | March 9, 2011 at 9:03 PM

    WTF. Tip is not a right. It has to be earned. Way to go BG.Stiff the waiters

  25. Posted by GuySpurnedByBess | March 9, 2011 at 9:03 PM

    WTF. Tip is not a right. It has to be earned. Way to go BG.Stiff the waiters

  26. Posted by Guest | April 25, 2011 at 5:44 PM

    $50 says Bill Gross hadn’t ever been laid at the age of 21.

  27. Posted by Cheech | January 11, 2012 at 8:54 PM

    When was Bill Gross ever full of testosterone ? His voice has never changed and I don't even think his balls have dropped. Also, I think his number 2 guy was my cab driver last night; he took the West Side Highway instead of just going down Broadway; I left him a 'Negative Tip' (i.e. I ran without paying the fare. That'll teach him.

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