044: John LeFevre - @GSElevator: This Episode Might Offend You
The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk
The Next Iteration of Business Insider
i was very deliberate in my attempt to grow this thing. So it was ok, how do i start? I need to be very finance specific. And so that's what got me onto writing guides and lists for business insider. But again, every step of the way, there were copycat accounts and people that were trying to emulate me. They never got anywhere. It does come back to the quality of te terial ind the quality of the content.
Episode 044: John LeFevre - @GSElevator: This Episode Might Offend You
This episode is different from any other I’ve recorded for The Learning Leader Show. Turney Duff describes my guest best for CNBC: “In some memoirs, the author tries to pull back the curtain to provide a glimpse into a particular time and place, but LeFevre attempts to rip the drapes right off. He gives a naked look at how business in the world of finance is conducted. LeFevre captures the "Glengarry Glen Ross"-type of attitude that some believe is required to be successful on Wall Street. He doesn't shy away from witnessing and partaking in some of the seedier antics of sharing non-public information, price-fixing, misogyny, drug use and good old-fashion cut-throat office politics.”
John LeFevre created the Goldman Sachs Elevator Twitter account (@GSElevator) as a parody of banking culture. He tweeted anonymously for years as he gained hundreds of thousands of followers with his notoriously outrageous and often offensive tweets. He was eventually revealed as the author of the account. That Twitter account propelled him to earn a six figure book deal titled, “Straight to Hell: True Tales of Deviance, Debauchery, and Billion-Dollar Deals.”
Episode 044: John LeFevre - @GSElevator: This Episode Might Offend You
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The Learning Leader Show
“I feel an obligation to call out social injustices.” – John LeFevre
Some Questions I Ask:
- What are the specific reasons behind your success?
- What was your strategy behind growing the @GSElevator Twitter account?
- What is an average “day in the life for you?”
- When someone receives a six figure advance for a book, when exactly do you get paid?
- Will this book become a movie?
- Do you care if people like you? Are you okay with being polarizing?
- What did you do with your first bonus check? ($75,000)
In This Episode, You Will Learn:
- Why John is so transparent and has spoken up about the Wall Street culture
- His PR strategy to grow a twitter account
- How Tucker Max initially helped with his book deal
- If it’s wise to give Lena Dunham a $2 million book advance
- Crazy stories about his day to day life in NYC, London, and Hong Kong
- Why he felt compelled to share information about illegal happenings including bankers colluding on fees
- Why he said writing this book turned him into a feminist
- How John has learned and grown up from his earlier days (he’s married and a Dad now)
“Investment bankers take themselves too seriously.” – John LeFevre
Continue Learning:
- See why over 725,000 million people follow John on Twitter: @GSElevator
- Read his book: Straight To Hell: Deviance, Debauchery, & Billion-Dollar Deals
- Read his articles for Business Insider: John LeFevre
You may also like these episodes:
Episode 003: The Incredibly Interesting Story Of Maurice Clarett And How He Built A 6 Figure Income After Spending 4 Years In Prison
Episode 002: How To Take Over And Set Bigger Goals With Chris Brogan
Episode 004: How Todd Wagner (and Mark Cuban) Sold Broadcast.com To Yahoo! For $5.7 Billion
Episode 010: Shane Snow – How To Accelerate Success Using Smart Cuts
Did you enjoy the podcast?
This episode was different and very interesting with the inimitable John LeFevre. Who do you know that needs to hear this? Send them to The Learning Leader Show!
Episode edited by the great J Scott Donnell
From CNBC:
Turney Duff describes my guest best for CNBC: “In some memoirs, the author tries to pull back the curtain to provide a glimpse into a particular time and place, but LeFevre attempts to rip the drapes right off. He gives a naked look at how business in the world of finance is conducted. LeFevre captures the "Glengarry Glen Ross"-type of attitude that some believe is required to be successful on Wall Street. He doesn't shy away from witnessing and partaking in some of the seedier antics of sharing non-public information, price-fixing, misogyny, drug use and good old-fashion cut-throat office politics.”
John LeFevre created the Goldman Sachs Elevator Twitter account (@GSElevator) as a parody of banking culture. He tweeted anonymously for years as he gained hundreds of thousands of followers with his notoriously outrageous and often offensive tweets. He was eventually revealed as the author of the account. That Twitter account propelled him to earn a six figure book deal titled, “Straight to Hell: True Tales of Deviance, Debauchery, and Billion-Dollar Deals.”
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