Capitalists “are not the scourge that they are too often made out to be” and the wealthy aren’t “a monolithic, selfish and unfeeling lot,” hedge fund manager Leon Cooperman wrote in a Nov. 28 open letter to the president. They make products that “fill store shelves at Christmas” and provide health care to millions. Cooperman, 68, said in an interview that he can’t walk through the dining room of St. Andrews Country Club in Boca Raton, Florida, without being thanked for speaking up. At least four people expressed their gratitude on Dec. 5 while he was eating an egg-white omelet, he said. “You’ll get more out of me,” the billionaire said, “if you treat me with respect.” [Bloomberg, earlier]
Fellow Country Club Members Throw Decorum To The Wind To Thank Leon Cooperman For Giving A Voice To The Oppressed
By Bess LevinComments (24)
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- Use the Bloomberg command
NH BLG_DEALBREAKER <GO>
to access Dealbreaker
"unfeeling" except for Ping.
Well, the world needs ditch diggers too.
-Honorable Judge Smails
Is it guilt or a true fear of having to pay more in taxes that makes so many of these billionaires defensive ? I always thought the best part of being super rich was you didn't have to ever again give a bleep what anyone thought of you.
We shall overcome
- the 1%
"Monolithic, selfish and unfeeling lot"….sounds like my limited partners
-Phil Falcone
The last time I saw a mouth like that, it had a hook in it…
Country clubs and cemeteries…biggest wastes of prime real estate.
-A. Cerzvk
Only difference is, your LPs aren't nearly as wealthy as they used to be.
In one model of the universe, the shortest distance between two points is a straight line: in the opposite direction.
-T. Webb
Leon Cooperman is walking through his country club and he sees a young parking valet sitting on a couch and manipulating an Iphone.
"What are you doing?!" Leon barks at the valet……
The valet replies, "just sitting here tweeting, Mr. Cooperman…"
Cooperman replies, "Well, knock it off…you'll ruin the couch!"
St. Andrews!!?!??! When did they change the name from Bushwood?
Leon should be very worried about what the "help" puts in the food that is prepared for him.
…and then take your mother, Dorothy Cooperman, out for a nice seafood dinner and never call her again!
Apparently acting like a bitch while sitting on a million dollars is the NKI. What's next. Are they going to get in a huff because the hedge fund manager across the street wore the same dress as them to the Christmas party? If I had billions, I would write a check for a 50 million, go on national T.V. and say: "Look (IRS/Government/99%), I found this in my couch. Take it, and shut the fuck up for the next decade or so, OK? I'm going back to work." Then I'd order a shirt that said "I just accomplished more in five minutes than OWS has accomplished in five months," call (one of) my girlfriend(s) and tell her "I just gave away 50 Million dollars to charity today. Stop eating dinner, get up from the children's table, go up to the bedroom and get the kneepads out, because I've earned it," and then, finally go back to work, and get even richer.
–Guy who thinks any grown man who goes on public t.v. to complain that the cool (or uncool) kids don't like him, and backs up his point by mentioning that all his friends are really supportive and agree you're being mean, is a bitch.
Tell me what little Donny Macmillian did to you?
I thought it was the Communist Chinese who fill store shelves at Christmas . . . ?
Actually, the shelf storing duties now go to the ex wife of the guy that used to work in the factory that produced the things that filled the shelves at Christmas.
You won't do it. You won't.
Mr. Cooperman is an interesting personality who obviously started with nothing, studied hard, learned valuable lessons, was in the right place at the right time more than once and has prospered. He is a man who has many blessing and has worked hard to take advantage of them.
Reading his other activities he's a mensch, a member of the Giving Pledge and been generous in many areas. His 9 point plan for the nation is quite progressive (do his fellow country club members know he wants to raise their taxes?).
We see that you provide generous grant money and investment counsel to the Damon Runyon Cancer Foundation for early stage research.
There's just one problem: There are many research grants but a dearth of commercialization funding for cures for cancer. This shortage of risk capital for commercialization is known as "the Valley of Death."
Talk to the folks at FasterCures, Michael Millken's foundation seeking to speed cancer cures. Their recent conference in DC showcased many research organizations but next to zero risk capital to pick up the proven solutions.
It sounds impossible that a nation as wealthy as ours would not fund proven medical advances but venture capitalists have become so risk adverse they are avoiding many proven medical technologies for social networking.
Mr. Cooperman, we'd like to challenge you.
We see you won a ruling from the IRS that saved you $5 million over a tax dispute. We should be so lucky! Why don't you invest $5 or 10 million to commercialize a proven medical technology for cancer?
Yes, it's an investment intended to turn a profit, not a grant, because risk capital is what's needed today. Your money could make a profound difference in the lives of 1.2 million Americans and 14 million worldwide diagnosed with cancer each year.
With your luck, we would all benefit. Who can we send your way?
It's easy to grin / When your ship comes in / And you've got the stock market beat. / But the man worthwhile, / Is the man who can smile, / When his shorts are too tight in the seat.
Hope you get cancer.
Success is being able to say "Fuck you" with impunity
Mmmmmm, Luv eggWhite omelets
Cooperman is clearly crazy. Sending a letter to a US President who has a name like Arafat accomplishes what?