Reading rank 155
The Merchant Bankers
, subject: Merchant-banking dynasties and their business practices, 1966
A centuries-spanning account of merchant-banking dynasties that sets trust, reputation, and relationships against their cutthroat beginnings.
91
Coverage Score
5
Scored evidence
About the book
The book covers Hambros, Barings, the Rothschilds, the Warburgs, Deutsche Bank chairman Hermann Josef Abs, Lehman Brothers, and Banca Commerciale Italiana under Raffaele Mattioli.
Why read it
Best if you want to examine finance through the long history of merchant-banking dynasties, especially the tension between cutthroat beginnings and the lasting importance of trust, reputation, and relationships.
Key themes
- Trust and reputation at the center
- Relationships as the operating reality
- An old-school view of finance
Evidence and original sources
This record is supported by 10 public evidence rows linked to original Founders episodes.
- The Merchant Bankers — David introduces The Merchant Bankers by Joseph Wechsberg as the book this episode is built around.
- How Obsession Built Christopher Nolan — David recalls the previous episode on The Merchant Bankers while comparing a banker's arrangement of home and work with Christopher Nolan's.