So, he doesn’t seem much like the master-of-the-universe type – but from where he stands, he doesn’t really need to be. After all, why preoccupy yourself with looking the part when you are the part?

While Goldman Sachs is the most imitated, envied and at times griped-about investment bank around, its chief executive, Lloyd C. Blankfein, is still intent on proving himself and his firm to the world, writes The New York Times’ Jenny Anderson, who in her profile describes Mr. Blankfein as a far cry from central casting’s idea of a chief executive.

Indeed, writes Ms. Anderson, Mr. Blankfein’s makeover from frumpy gold salesman to chief executive has a bit of a reality-TV feel to it.

Less than a decade ago, he could be seen in shorts at a golf outing, tube socks stretched to his knees, 50 pounds heavier, and toting his BlackBerry in the same plastic bag as his bagel with cream cheese. Today, he dons navy pinstripes and a power tie and, having just returned from a business trip to Turkey, enjoys conversing about the Ottoman Empire.

But it is his intellect, knowledge of history and deep understanding of trading that really set him apart from other titans of Wall Street, even among those with their own formidable skills, according to Ms. Anderson. So does his pay package. He took home $54.3 million in total compensation last year, well shy of what hedge fund stars pulled in but more than any other chief executive on Wall Street.

His familiarity and comfort with risk make Mr. Blankfein, however unlikely at first blush, perfectly suited for the role of Wall Street chief executive circa 2007 — less Ivy League backslapper sipping a gin and tonic after a round of golf, and more sharp-witted, quant jock.

(Continue reading this story on New York Times)

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