Histories of investment banks that have not collapsed or been swallowed up are usually seemly affairs. Readers must wait until the leading figures have died or the events are long in the past before they get the uncensored tales of sex and conflict. Happily, Lazard is an exception.
This book’s subtitle is: “A tale of unrestrained ambition, billion-dollar fortunes, byzantine power struggles and hidden scandals”. That seems accurate enough, except for the word “hidden”. Judging from the contents of the book, the partners of Lazard’s New York arm never tried hard to conceal internal feuding and sexual licentiousness. Even if one made the effort, another would spill his secret.
