044: John LeFevre - @GSElevator: This Episode Might Offend You

Episode 044: John LeFevre - @GSElevator: This Episode Might Offend You

This episode is different from any other I’ve recorded for The Learning Leader Show. Turney Duff describes my guest best for CNBC: “In some memoirs, the author tries to pull back the curtain to provide a glimpse into a particular time and place, but LeFevre attempts to rip the drapes right off. He gives a naked look at how business in the world of finance is conducted. LeFevre captures the "Glengarry Glen Ross"-type of attitude that some believe is required to be successful on Wall Street. He doesn't shy away from witnessing and partaking in some of the seedier antics of sharing non-public information, price-fixing, misogyny, drug use and good old-fashion cut-throat office politics.”

John LeFevre created the Goldman Sachs Elevator Twitter account (@GSElevator) as a parody of banking culture. He tweeted anonymously for years as he gained hundreds of thousands of followers with his notoriously outrageous and often offensive tweets. He was eventually revealed as the author of the account. That Twitter account propelled him to earn a six figure book deal titled, “Straight to Hell: True Tales of Deviance, Debauchery, and Billion-Dollar Deals.”

Episode 044: John LeFevre - @GSElevator: This Episode Might Offend You

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The Learning Leader Show

“I feel an obligation to call out social injustices.” – John LeFevre

Some Questions I Ask:

• What are the specific reasons behind your success?
• What was your strategy behind growing the @GSElevator Twitter account?
• What is an average “day in the life for you?”
• When someone receives a six figure advance for a book, when exactly do you get paid?
• Will this book become a movie?
• Do you care if people like you? Are you okay with being polarizing?
• What did you do with your first bonus check? ($75,000)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• Why John is so transparent and has spoken up about the Wall Street culture
• His PR strategy to grow a twitter account
• How Tucker Max initially helped with his book deal
• If it’s wise to give Lena Dunham a $2 million book advance
• Crazy stories about his day to day life in NYC, London, and Hong Kong
• Why he felt compelled to share information