Too Big To Fail
Chapter 19
Setting
This chapter starts with Lloyd Blankfein, CEO of Goldman Sachs (GS), thinking about his company’s future. Stock market is dropping and the regulators still haven’t decided on what, when and how to fix the financial system. Henry “Hank Paulson” the US Treasury Secretary at the time, strongly believes the only way to build confidence in the market place was to have the government pass the Trouble Asset Relief Program (TARP). He had a big task ahead of him because it would be difficult to get lawmakers to agree his plan. Currently Wachovia another well known bank is in crisis. Its two month old CEO, Bob Steel, is trying desperately to broker a deal without government intervention, with either Citibank or Wells Fargo and Company (WFC) to save his bank. In the meantime, investors’ confidence in Morgan Stanley is waning and the company is urgently trying to close a deal with the Japanese company Mitsubishi to get more capital on the books. Companies across the board are trying to become more liquid in the tight credit market.
Major Players
Hank Paulson is trying his best to reach an agreement with Congress, so he can get TARP passed as quickly as possible. He dislikes politics but knows he has to work with the politicians or his bill would die. His solution to the financial crisis is TARP and working with lawmakers would be the only way to get this done. To get Congress on board, he would also have to work with the chairwoman of the