From the Bronx to Wall Street - by Leon Cooperman (Hardcover)

About the Book

Hedge fund manager and former colleague Doug Kass describes Leon Cooperman as an "estimable humanitarian" who's been "seasoned with a pinch of Horatio Alger and a heaping spoonful of justified self-confidence." Indeed, this is certainly the flavor that comes through in Mr. Cooperman's timely memoir, From the Bronx to Wall Street: My Fifty Years in Finance and Philanthropy. In this era of Warren Buffett's "Giving Pledge," Mr. Cooperman and his wife, Toby, have become two of the country's most prominent supporters of hospitals, scholarships, colleges, libraries, and other vital programs and institutions. In these pages, Mr. Cooperman not only recounts fascinating details from his long career at Goldman Sachs and his hedge fund, Omega Advisors, but also speaks movingly, and with great insight, about the meaning of wealth and the moral responsibilities that come with it.

Book Synopsis

Hedge fund manager and former colleague Doug Kass describes Leon Cooperman as an "estimable humanitarian" who's been "seasoned with a pinch of Horatio Alger and a heaping spoonful of justified self-confidence." Indeed, this is certainly the flavor that comes through in Mr. Cooperman's timely memoir, From the Bronx to Wall Street: My Fifty Years in Finance and Philanthropy. In this era of Warren Buffett's "Giving Pledge," Mr. Cooperman and his wife, Toby, have become two of the country's most prominent supporters of hospitals, scholarships, colleges, libraries, and other vital programs and institutions. In these pages, Mr. Cooperman not only recounts fascinating details from his long career at Goldman Sachs and his hedge fund, Omega Advisors, but also speaks movingly, and with great insight, about the meaning of wealth and the moral responsibilities that come with it.

From the Back Cover

Wall Street legend Leon Cooperman knows not only how to make billions... but also how and why to give it all away.

When it comes to the stock market, famed Goldman Sachs and Omega Advisors hedge fund guru Leon Cooperman has seen and done it all. In his vibrant new memoir, billionaire philanthropist Cooperman recounts the ups and downs of a professional lifetime on Wall Street. With such colleagues as Bob Mnuchin, Bob Rubin, Hank Paulson, and Jon Corzine, Cooperman played a major role at Goldman Sachs from the 1960s to the early 1990s, serving variously as partner-in-charge of the Investment Research Department, cochairman of the Investment Policy Committee, chairman of the Stock Selection Committee, and chairman/CEO of Goldman Sachs Asset Management. Thereafter, at his own Omega Advisors hedge fund, in collaboration with his old Goldman protégé Steven Einhorn and others, he continued to rack up profits for investors. At once a compelling "insider's account" of Wall Street and its culture, a reasoned argument for the values and benefits inherent in capitalism, and a meditation on the importance and duty of large-donor philanthropy, From the Bronx to Wall Street does not disappoint.

Review Quotes

Lee never forgot where he's from because in his heart he never left. He's still the striving kid with something to show, despite a lifetime of success as a senior partner of Goldman Sachs, as one of the most successful hedge fund investors of his generation, and now as a hands-on philanthropist. He wears his passion for family, friends, and country on his sleeve. Wall Streeters have always valued Lee's advice on markets; they and a broader group will see that his best advice is his life advice.

- Lloyd C. Blankfein

Chairman and CEO, Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (2006-18)

Lee's life story - marked by humble beginnings, hard work, the courage to follow his passions, and the generosity to help others follow theirs - reflects the opportunities that America affords and the responsibilities that come with financial success. From The Bronx to Wall Street is a reminder of the promise of America and the duty we have to ensure it is open to all, including those who, like Lee, are the children of immigrants or immigrants themselves.

- Michael Bloomberg

Founder of Bloomberg L.P. and Bloomberg Philanthropies, and Mayor of New York City (2002-2013)

A must-read for anyone who believes in the American dream and wants to achieve it. Lee Cooperman is a Wall Street icon who shows us the value of hard work and tenacity and the importance of incredible generosity and philanthropy.

- Ken Langone

Co-Founder, The Home Depot

In a poignant account of his American Dream story, Lee Cooperman shares his lifelong commitment to opportunity and democracy with passion and wit. Known for his genius in identifying undervalued financial assets, Cooperman shares his less well-known talent for investing in hidden gems with his expansive philanthropy. This book exemplifies how Lee lives the Hunter College motto, mihi cura futuri, "the care of the future is mine." His compelling Horatio Alger narrative tells, in a very entertaining style, how he turned his gift for doing well into a moving commitment to do "good".

- Jennifer J. Raab

President, Hunter College