The Last of the Imperious Rich

”…the historical parallels that the author provides are often thought- provoking and illuminating.”
-The New York Times

“…a remarkable story of what Lehman once was and a somber story about what it became.”
-FrumForum

“Chapman, financial reporter and editor, weaves a fascinating story framed in the history of the times during which Lehman Brothers helped shape financial markets.”
-Booklist

“The Last of the Imperious Rich is an excellent, fast-paced account of the rise and fall of Lehman Brothers. Peter Chapman captures the firm’s high and low moments with admirable clarity, especially the hubris that led to its ultimate demise. A valuable addition to Wall Street history.”
-Charles Geisst, author of Collateral Damaged and Wall Street: A History

“The Last of the Imperious Rich is a gripping financial history. Peter Chapman has connected the dots from the unlikely beginnings of Henry Lehman in antebellum Alabama to the adventures of Bobbie Lehman on Wall Street to the domineering, and ultimately destructive, rule by Dick Fuld. Chapman’s story is an object lesson in the dangers of aggressive short-term thinking in finance. Lehman’s journey from helping companies like Campbell Soup to perpetrating modern financial schemes is a parable of how the markets went wrong.”
-Frank Partnoy, George E. Barrett Professor of Law and Finance, University of San Diego; author of The Match King

Peter Chapman has worked for the Financial Times since 1995 and is a former foreign correspondent for the BBC and the Guardian. He holds a master’s degree in economics from the London School of Economics. He lives in London.

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