The Resume

(October 19, 1885-October 6, 1956)
Born in Green Cove Springs, Florida
Stockbroker
With Edmund Lynch, founded Merrill Lynch (1914)
Orchestrated the merger that created Safeway (1926), becoming the largest stockholder
Also held large stakes in J.C. Penney and S.S. Kresge (Kmart)
Founded 'Family Circle' magazine (1932)

Why he might be annoying:

He attended law school, decided it was not interesting, and left without a degree.
He believed mutual funds would never catch on with the public.
He described his many extramarital affairs as 'recharging my batteries.'
'Time' noted that he 'made the gossip pages as regularly as the financial pages.'

Why he might not be annoying:

In the years before the 1929 crash, he warned clients that the market was seriously overvalued and urged them to reduce their stock holdings.
He unsuccessfully asked President Calvin Coolidge to speak out against stock market speculation.
He guided Merrill Lynch through a series of mergers that made it the largest brokerage firm in the US.
Merrill Lynch was the first company on Wall Street to publish annual fiscal reports (1943).
To eliminate 'churn and earn' trading by his company's brokers, he paid them on a straight salary instead of commissions.
He promoted stocks and bonds as investment options for the middle class, coining the phrase 'bringing Wall Street to Main Street.'

Credit: C. Fishel

Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

• C. Fishel's Profiles [Series 82]
• I am an Adulterer
• I Attended Amherst College
• I Attended University of Michigan
• I Died in 1956 (Ranked: 70)
• My Name, My Company
• Profiles 51501-51750 (Ranked: 51626)
• Time Magazine's 100 Most Important People of the 20th Century [1998]

Year In Review:

In 2023, Out of 5 Votes: 80.0% Annoying
In 2022, Out of 3 Votes: 66.67% Annoying
In 2021, Out of 7 Votes: 42.86% Annoying