The chief executive of Goldman Sachs believes banks do “God’s work” and serve a social purpose. His remarks come soon after Goldman faced worldwide media attention over the mammoth size of its staff bonuses. But Lloyd Blankfein said big bonuses and the size of profits were a sign that the world economy was recovering. “We help companies to grow by helping them to raise capital. Companies that grow create wealth. This, in turn, allows people to have jobs that create more growth and more wealth. We have a social purpose,” he told The Sunday Times. In an interview he admitted that people were angry at the actions of bankers: “I know I could slit my wrists and people would cheer,” he said.
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“God’s Work”
The boss of banking giant Goldman Sachs has caused worldwide smirks by claiming banks do “God’s work”.
Monthly Issue
April 2026
In this monthly issue, we examine how our understanding of energy — and how we source and use it — is evolving.
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