By Ellen Cans
David Solomon, CEO of Goldman Sachs, defended his side gigs as a dance-club DJ, in a recent interview. On Thursday in podcast “The Sound of Success with Nic Harcourt”, the hard charging executive was unapologetic for his hobby spinning records, saying it helps his “left brain, right brain” balance. “I have this analytical side of my mind that helps me with my biz professional career,” Solomon said. “But I haven’t had a lot of opportunities to stimulate the artistic creative side of my brain and it makes me feel good. Helps me relax.”
As per the NY Post, Solomon, 59, admitted that his side hustle raised eyebrows at Goldman in the beginning. He says he was told, “You can’t do that… it’ll hurt your career professionally.” “I thought about it and I said, ‘I enjoy this, I’m not doing anything wrong,’” Solomon said. “I’m having fun… it makes me feel good.”
The financial titan has been CEO of Goldman Sachs since 2018. Before that he was president and chief operating officer since January 2017, and had served as joint head of the investment banking division from July 2006 to December 2016. He owns more than 27,125 shares of Goldman stocks valued at over $56,754,061. As per Celebrity Net Worth, he has an estimated net worth of $100 million.
He has often been criticized by junior bankers for his hard-driving management style, where he has told young bankers they should be putting in 100-hour work weeks. He was criticized for spinning tunes at nightclubs and music festivals in New York, Miami, and the Bahamas. He has also produced his own record labels with electronic dance music (EDM).
One source told the Post, that the banking world has come to accept Solomon’s DJ habits. “People respect commitment and he works hard at it,” the source said. The gigs provide an example for Goldman employees to find their passion outside the office too. The source added that this has made Solomon more relatable and accessible to younger aspiring employees. “I’ve seen kids talk to him in the office about music,” the source told the Post. “It makes him happy and we like a happy David Solomon.”
In Thursday’s interview Solomon also admitted to “guilty pleasures” of enjoying oldies like the Bee Gees and Barry Manilow. He revealed he worshiped Bruce Springsteen, and he brought up fond memories of buying Elton John vinyl’s as a child, and attending a Led Zeppelin concert.
