Surviving Wall Street

Surviving Wall Street: A Tale of Triumph, Tragedy and Timing tells an adventure story. Through the tumultuous saga of one firm (Greenhill, a pioneering merger advisory business) and one man (that firm's longtime leader) readers come to understand the dramatic evolution of the investment banking industry in recent years--its extraordinary growth, frequent crises, Darwinian competition, and the continual creation of new firms and disappearance of older ones.

Greenhill navigates a journey from scrappy start-up to highly successful IPO and ultimately to a sale to a major global bank, along the way illustrating in vivid color the pivotal moments that transformed Wall Street. Readers experience crises like the dot-com crash, global financial crisis and Covid pandemic. They learn of deals and dealmakers, how market cycles drive booms and busts, and how boards and CEOs operate in both the corporate and nonprofit spheres.

The book culminates in an account from inside the boardroom of the University of Pennsylvania, where a highly unusual takeover battle reminiscent of those in the corporate realm marked the start of a period of nationwide campus unrest unlike anything since the Vietnam War era.

Here is the story of how Wall Street really works. Whether you are trying to figure out how Wall Street became so powerful, hope to chart your own path to success in this arena or simply enjoy a harrowing adventure tale, this insider's account is a must-read.