Office address: 200 West Street, New York, NY 10282
Website: goldmansachs.com
Year established: 1869
Company type: financial services
Employees: 46,000+
Expertise: investment banking, asset management, wealth management, capital markets, M&A advisory, equities trading, fixed income, private equity, digital banking, transaction banking
Parent company: N/A
Key people: David Solomon (CEO), John Waldron (COO), Denis Coleman (CFO), John F.W. Rogers (EVP), Alex Golten (chief risk officer), Carey Halio (global treasurer), Sheara Fredman (chief accounting officer)
Financing status: corporation
Goldman Sachs is a global financial services firm based in New York. The company offers investment banking, asset management, wealth management, and digital banking, managing over $2 trillion in assets. With more than 46,000 employees, it is known for its top-rated expertise and strong client relationships.
Goldman Sachs traces its story back to 1869, when Marcus Goldman set up a small office in Lower Manhattan. He offered local merchants a new way to get credit by buying their promissory notes, which helped shape the commercial paper business.
By the late 1800s, the firm had become Goldman, Sachs & Co. It also joined the NYSE in 1896 and gained a reputation for financial innovation.
Over the twentieth century, Goldman Sachs expanded across the US and into Europe, building a strong investment banking business. The firm introduced the price-to-earnings ratio as a new way to value companies, which became an industry standard. In the 1930s, Sidney Weinberg led the firm through the Great Depression and helped it become a top player in underwriting and trading.
The firm kept growing by opening offices in London, Tokyo, and Zurich in the 1970s while also acquiring J. Aron & Company in 1981. In 1999, Goldman Sachs became a public company, trading on the NYSE under the ticker GS.
The 2000s brought new challenges, but the firm stayed strong. It moved into new headquarters at 200 West Street and launched major initiatives like 10,000 Women and 10,000 Small Businesses.
In recent years, the company has focused on technology and consumer banking, launching Marcus and partnering with Apple for the Apple Card. The firm has also committed to sustainability and diversity, with major investments in climate and inclusive growth.
In 2024, Goldman Sachs announced a $1 billion stake in T. Rowe Price, a leading asset management firm. The firm aimed to create new investment options for retirement clients and financial advisors through the partnership.
Goldman Sachs offers a wide range of financial products designed for institutional, corporate, and individual clients. Its solutions include:
These offerings are supported by advanced technology, global resources, and a strong focus on client service. Goldman Sachs also invests in sustainable finance and digital innovation to supplement its core products.
Goldman Sachs states that its culture is driven by teamwork and a focus on collective achievement. The company reports that collaboration and a sense of belonging are central to its approach. Its values are:
According to the company, employees have access to coaching, mentorship, and a range of benefits:
Goldman Sachs also welcomes over 2,600 new analysts and associates to more than 60 offices each summer. Students participate in programs and events that offer real-world business exposure and networking opportunities.
David Solomon is the chairperson and CEO of Goldman Sachs and chairs the board of directors. Before this, Solomon was president and COO, and earlier led investment banking and financing groups. He also chairs Hamilton College’s board and serves on boards for the Robin Hood Foundation, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, and the Paley Center for Media.
The executive team at Goldman Sachs leads the firm’s strategy and daily operations:
Goldman Sachs’s leadership team focuses on strong performance and responsible management for clients, shareholders, and employees.
Goldman Sachs released a report showing family offices are investing heavily in men’s sports, with far less interest in women’s leagues. It found that family offices are about four times more likely to invest in men’s sports than in women’s. By tracking these trends and advising on large deals, the firm helps clients find new opportunities in the growing sports investment market.
Goldman Sachs Asset Management also released a study showing that alternative investments grow more popular as wealth increases, especially among millennials. The report shows 91 percent of $20 million households use alternatives, and millennials allocate 20 percent to them. The company continues to share these findings to guide clients and advisors on market trends and private investment opportunities.
Its plan to bring employees back to the office will probably be watched closely by major financial firms, which may adjust their plans depending on how it goes.
The Swiss firm is exploring several alternatives for offering the asset class, people familiar with the plan said. Any investment offering would be a very small portion of the clients’ total wealth because of the volatility.
Expanded government crackdowns on syndicated conservation easement land deals are creating financial and legal headaches for some wealthy investors.
In his first appearance on Capitol Hill since being confirmed as SEC chair, Gensler also addressed ESG and the gamification of investing.
After its acquisition in July 2019, United Capital became Goldman Sachs Personal Financial Management division, combining the then-RIA’s emphasis on getting personal with the Wall Street bank's 150-year legacy. The Personal Financial Management unit is growing via acquisitions and Joe Duran outlines how advisers can benefit.
Hype from retail and institutional investors on digital assets isn’t enough to sway skeptical advisers who are weighing the risk and reward of crypto before adding the asset class to clients' portfolios.
Professional relationships are evolving. Consumers no longer want an expert proxy making decisions for them, they want a problem-solving partner who can guide them.
The agency lending platform joins a compact group of less than a dozen companies that enable funds to lend securities to be sold short.
Like Morgan Stanley, UBS kept its investors in the dark for weeks about the size of the losses it incurred in the collapse of Bill Hwang's family office.
The investment firms are buying the company from backers including Genstar Capital, Aquiline Capital and Atlas Merchant Capital.
Robos are continuing to make incremental product expansions to make their digital advice platforms more competitive with incumbent banks.
The former Goldman mortgage-backed securities star will take over from John Hollyer, who is retiring.
The analyst twice purchased securities after he learned a fellow analyst was upgrading his recommendation in impending research reports and then lied to Finra staff about his trading.
The cryptocurrency fell by as much as 15% Sunday, after hitting a record high of more than $64,000 last week, and rival coins like Ether and XRP also plunged.
Bitcoin hit a record of more than $64,000 as Coinbase Global Inc., the largest U.S. cryptocurrency exchange, went public last week. Advisers and Wall Street have reached an inflection point when it comes to cryptocurrencies.
