RETIRED MEN'S ASSOCIATION OF GREENWICH, Inc. (RMA)
Invites you to its meeting, April 2, 2025, at 11 am at
Christ Church, Parish Hall, 254 East Putnam Ave., Greenwich, CT. The program will also be shown on Zoom: https://bit.ly/30IBj21
Greg Steinmetz
“American Rascal: How Jay Gould Built America’s Biggest Fortune”
Author Greg Steinmetz makes the argument that Jay Gould, now largely forgotten, deserves the same name recognition as the Big Three of the Gilded Age: Rockefeller, Carnegie and Vanderbilt. He was just as rich. And as the builder of more railroad track than anyone, he was just as important because he played a giant role in the development of the west. But he is overlooked by history. Why?
Gould had the misfortune of dying young, before he had a chance to give his money away and acquire a reputation as a philanthropist. He was cut down in his prime by tuberculosis at age 56. There is no equivalent of Rockefeller Center, Carnegie Hall or Vanderbilt University for Gould, only a dumpy basement auditorium on East 59th named for his daughter in law. For this reason, he is remembered—to the extent he is remembered at all—as a money grubbing robber baron worthy only of scorn. Gould is only mentioned once a year, on Oct 16, the day in 1869 when his failed effort to corner gold crashed the stock market. Steinmetz will talk about his greatest financial coups and go into his motivations and methods, as well as his family, his mansions, and his yacht.
Greg Steinmetz spent 15 years as a newspaper reporter and editor before finishing up as the London Bureau Chief of the Wall Street Journal. In 2001, he switched careers and became an analyst and a partner at the New York money management firm of Ruane, Cunniff & Goldfarb. American Rascal appeared in 2022. His first book, The Richest Man Who Ever Lived: The Life & Times of Jacob Fugger appeared in 2015. Greg grew up outside Cleveland, graduated from Colgate and has a master’s in journalism from Northwestern.
Our next speaker, on April 9, will be Carolyn Keogh, Director of the Olana Partnership, on “Frederic Church’s Olana.”
The Greenwich Retired Men’s Association offers a free program every Wednesday that is open to the public, both men and women; no reservations are required. Our social break starts at 10:40 am followed promptly by our presentation at 11:00 am. For additional information see https://greenwichrma.org.
