Vikram Pandit: Rise Up
You know, just because he's not as conventionally handsome as Jamie Dimon, or because his slated commencement address didn't incite as much controversy, or because he didn't change the life of one university student by whispering sweet nothings in her ear doesn't mean that Vikram Pandit's graduation speech at Columbia yesterday wasn't just as noteworthy as the JPMorgan CEO's little Syracuse chit-chat on Sunday. It's because none of the kids he was speaking to took their clothes off during his talk that no one cares. But whatever, you know? No sweat off Uncle Vik's sack. You snooze you lose, and miss out on the CEO of the Century's* pearls of wisdom (the delivery of which he purposely scheduled on a random Monday to prove a point that he doesn't open for Mr. Dimon, who spoke Sunday, and so that everyone would've gotten JD out of their system and could give Vickles the attention he deserved but noooooooooo).
Americans have a “right to be angry” about the financial crisis, Pandit, 53, said Monday at the graduation ceremony for Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs in New York.
“We cannot live without the financial system,” Pandit said, “but we do not have to accept its excesses.”
Also, if you take away one thing from this speech, I hope it's this: make sure you get the Zen Garden approval in writing before you accept the job or they'll fuck you like nobody's business in the end. Trust me, know what I'm talking about on this one.
Pandit Tells Students ‘Responsible Finance’ Is Needed [Bloomberg]
*Would Citi have bought Old Lane for a trillion dollars if he wasn't? QED.
