Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein Weighs in on Market Volatility, Crypto, and Trump
Kristen Scholer sat down with Lloyd Blankfein, the CEO and Chairman of Goldman Sachs, to discuss the economy, his relationship with President Trump, and where the company stands on cryptocurrencies.
Blankfein most recently saw President Trump in Davos and admitted that, even though he wasn't a supporter during the election, he agrees with Trump's message that promoting America's interests doesn't mean withdrawing from the world. Blankfein knows it may not be a popular opinion, but he says President Trump is good for small businesses and America's economy.
Plus, Blankfein comments on Gary Cohn's place in The White House. He believes that Cohn, who previously served as Goldman's Chief Operating Officer, has accomplished everything he set out to do under the Trump administration.
And don't expect Goldman to jump into the crypto craze anytime soon. Blankfein shot down rumors that the company will open a trading desk, saying that it will clear futures contracts for customers. He says there's a lot of "hype" over the digital assets and that he doesn't "love" the concept.
Goldman is also focused more on digital distribution and turning around revenue numbers for its trading division. Blankfein discusses the company's "Marcus" division, which has issued $2 billion in consumer loans in the year after its launch in October 2016.
Amazon is being sued by U.S. regulators and and 17 states over allegations that the company abuses its position in the marketplace to inflate prices on other platforms, overcharge sellers and stifle competition.
President Joe Biden grabbed a bullhorn on the picket line Tuesday and urged striking auto workers to “stick with it” in an unparalleled show of support for organized labor by a modern president.
The confidence of American consumers slipped this month, particularly about the future, as expectations persist that interest rates will remain elevated for an extended period.
JPMorgan Chase agreed Tuesday to pay $75 million to the U.S. Virgin Islands to settle claims that the bank enabled the sex trafficking acts committed by financier Jeffrey Epstein.
