BRUCE WASSERSTEIN (Mr. M&A)

BANZAI7 NEWS--Bruce Wasserstein died last night at the age of 61.

This was a banker who earned his pay. He was a staunch advocate of quality over quantity. His model was lean and mean. You will not find his name associated with the Subprime fiasco or the excess associated with supermarket banking.

WHAT HE DIDN’T DO

Many will speak of what Mr. Wasserstein did.

Here is what he did not do:

He didn’t try to build a monolithic giant in pursuit of personal vanity.

He didn’t lie to his shareholders.

He didn’t try to game the system.

He didn’t need and didn’t ask for a handout.

He didn’t whine.

He did what he loved to do, not what he would do to make a fast buck.

He didn’t live long enough.

That’s quite a list that few of the other captains of Wall Street can match.

Condolences to Mr. Wasserstein’s family.