Lloyd Blankfein, chief executive of Goldman Sachs, said on Wednesday that there was more “leverage” investing in women around the world compared with men because they were starting from a lower position and had a greater tendency to reinvest in family.

Speaking at the Clinton Global Initiative summit, Mr Blankfein touted the bank’s programme to help educate 10,000 women in developing countries as a scheme with the “highest return on risk”, as it helps lift people from poverty and adds to Goldman’s pool of potential talent.