Shortly after we set up shop, the four of us and our wives convened at Arthur's home on Long Island to celebrate. It was a festive occasion, and we all openly shared our aspirations. To this day, I remember the others stressing over and over their desire to become wealthy. Given that Joanie and I were raising two toddlers and lived nearly hand-to-mouth, the talk was certainly seductive. Still, what I remember most from that dinner was my declaration that the money should be secondary--what mattered more to me was to build a great firm: one that would lead the industry, employ lots of people, endure over many years, and,importantly, command respect.

Over the next forty-three years, I never altered my priorities.

The Sandy Weill story is truly one for the ages. Starting with $30,000 he borrowed in 1960, he created one of the leading securities firms in the U.S.After selling his company and becoming president of American Express,he then took over a sleepy consumer loan company and, over the next seventeen years, transformed it into the leading global bank: Citigroup.As Citigroup's chairman and CEO, Weill delivered an astounding 2,600 percent return to investors--better than Jack Welch or Warren Buffett during that same period.

Now, for the first time, Sandy Weill reveals the unvarnished truth about his astonishing life and career. He talks about his Brooklyn childhood, his competitors and colleagues, and his daily inspiration: his wife, Joan. And along the way, he shares the most important lessons he learned in business and in life. THE REAL DEAL is the real deal--the true tale of a legendary financial superstar who always loved the game more than the gold.

A Collaborator's Story by Judah S. Kraushaar

Prologue

Separation

Building the Business

The Rise to Prominence

Against the Grain

Riding a New Wave

The Experiment That Failed

Out of the Limelight

Resurrection

Back to the Future

More Things for More People

A Reach for Greatness

Execution Angst

An Audacious Leap

Fear and Loathing

The Winner's Curse

One Company, One Leader

Only a Temporary Calm

The Wrath of the Regulators

Retaking Control of My Life

Live and Learn

My Life with Sandy: A Conversation with Joan Weill

Appendix

Acknowledgments

Index