Story by rhogg@insider.com (Ryan Hogg)
Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon speaks at the bank's investor day this February. BRENDAN MCDERMID / REUTERS© BRENDAN MCDERMID / REUTERS
David Solomon was criticized of "blatant ignorance and disrespect" at a college event.
The Goldman Sachs CEO discussed divestment issues with students at his alma mater Hamilton College.
Goldman Sachs didn't immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider.
Students at David Solomon's alma mater have accused the Goldman Sachs CEO of having "blatant ignorance and disrespect" during a conversation about fossil fuel divestment.
Three seniors at New York's Hamilton College wrote a letter accusing the executive of "belittling" them during a discussion about the university's climate change initiatives.
Solomon, who graduated from the private liberal arts college in 1984, was attending a networking event at the college in March this year when the students challenged him on the issue of divestment.
The letter says that Solomon was speaking to "a group of six or so people," who "were all non-male, and at least half were people of color."
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It adds that throughout the discussion, Solomon's attitude and behavior toward the students came from a "position of power."
"Despite knowing nothing about us and our roles in our communities and history of activist work, Solomon claimed he does more in a week to help climate change than we will ever do in our entire lives. When we asked him to elaborate, he attributed his "capital accumulation" and position of power," the letter read.
The letter also claims that Solomon pointed to the group, claiming that they must have benefitted from a financial aid.
"Once we all looked shocked at the claim, he quickly backtracked, citing the statistic that something like 80% of Hamilton students are on some kind of financial aid," it adds.
The students also said Solomon suggested fossil fuel divestment was a "stupid movement" and said that the university likely had a higher exposure to fossil fuels than it claimed.
They alleged that Solomon also called them hypocrites for driving cars and using electricity while supporting divestment, adding that he told them they would "see how the world really works" if they visited countries like China, India, and Cambodia.
"At one point, he laughed and told us he'd be dead in thirty years, so climate change would be our problem anyway," the letter also says.
Goldman's spokesman Tony Fratto told Insider in a statement: "David Solomon has enormous respect for the students at Hamilton College. He did not and would not say things to offend them. We strongly dispute the claims that he did."
Solomon has had a tough time at Goldman lately, with a big bet on its consumer banking business ending in a mess and partners voicing their concerns about him to the firm's board.
Even Solomon's DJ side hustle has brought him issues, with sources telling Insider they were fuming at his use of a private company jet to promote his gig.
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