...Gary is going to not go down in history, because people don't remember these things.... (we were reminiscing.
).
But some pretty interesting and amazing things have happened with him in our travels and work on Wall Street.
When the Chinese launched a Hughes Satellite in 1995, it blew up and landed in shallow water. The minute Gary saw that, he said "I can't believe it, they're stealing the technology and Hughes is in on it!" It disappeared from the news. 8 years later - Hughes being indited and fined $32 Million for illegally transferring rocket & satellite technology to China.
We're having lunch in New York City and Gary's mom was visiting. We were at La Cote Basque, which we could afford at the time.
It was summer of 2003. Gary's outside on the cellphone, comes racing into the restaurant and says to Gee "I am SO sorry, but we have to make this lunch to go, we have to go NOW. The electricity is going to go out. You should shut the restaurant and everyone should leave to get home NOW." Gary's mom starts to freak out - she wants to enjoy her fancy lunch with us. Gary says "Mom, I am NOT kidding. WE HAVE TO GO." They packed our lunch in like 5 minutes while Gary ran to get the car out of the parking garage next door. He FLEW out of there (thank goodness there wasn't much traffic on 56th) and within 15 minutes we were up the helix out the Lincoln Tunnel - and the electricity went out in New York. In some places it was out for weeks. They closed the Tunnels (no lighting, no ventilation).
Electricity was out in NY for like 3 days?
Gary continuously bashed former Secretary of the Treasury, Paul O'Neill in our morning notes. It alienated us from some customers.... until Paul O'Neill resigned - and basically confirmed everything Gary had been bashing him about (most importantly, just being a "cheerleader'). The calls and notes flooded in then.
In fact... in another La Cote Basque story... the morning he published the headline "Paul O'Neill and His Shameless Band of Hacks Take Their Weird Show to Tokyo," he had lunch with a customer scheduled at La Cote Basque. He called to cancel, and Jean Paul replied, " I am so sorry you have been unable to reach us all morning, but the Secret Service have been here, we've cleared you to have lunch despite our distinguished guests, so of course we expect to see you within half an hour." So Gary went. 10 tables were set up in the center of the room - and it was President Bush (this was January 2002), the First Lady, Governor and Libby Pitaki and a few regulars at La Cote Basque. Gary was introduced as one of their favorites, and Gary introduced the Chef (the owner) and the staff to the President and everyone. They asked him what he did, and he told them. He called our assistant on the phone and asked him to bring over a package. Of course - what's sitting on top? That morning's note bashing Paul O'Neill! Laura Bush looks at it and says, "but the O'Neills are very dear friends of ours." Gary replied, "And I appreciate that we live in a country where the first amendment is an important right blah blah blah....." and everyone else in the restaurant "tinked" their glasses with forks or whatever.
....or the time we're visiting a farm equipment manufacturer. We're chatting about all their lines and prospects and technology &etc., and Gary said, "but you always had a problem with the hydraulics on a number of models. Whenever you couple or decouple them, you get sprayed with hydraulic fluid." The CFO said, "Oh, we've corrected that problem - but how would you know about that?" (Most analysts don't actually use farm equipment.) Gary simply replied - I'd love to see a new model! ...so the CFO calls engineering to have them drive over a new tractor, takes us down to see it. Gary says - if you don't mind, I'd rather not do it. So the CFO goes to decouple it - and gets sprayed all over with hydraulic fluid.
...or the time we're visiting a different tractor company - very new, very advanced drive controls on their most advanced models. We're up in the cab looking around, and they offer to let Gary take it for a test drive. But they want someone to show him how to use it, so the guy left to get an instructor. Gary looks at me and says "Should I do it?" Of course! I say - "Go for it!" So he turns it on, and takes it out. We're flying through the field as he takes it through all the paces. Got it up to about 50 MPH (in a very muddy field). He REALLY put it through the paces. We fly back in and he parks it perfectly - slid it in sideways.
Everyone was white as a sheet when we pulled in, but they all started clapping. We obviously were wearing suits, and they thought we were typical analysts.
They'd never seen anyone do that. Spent some more time with the company - and within about 1/2 an hour, he figured out there was nothing for us to do because they were talking to another company about a merger, and we were too late to the party. They couldn't confirm he was right - but basically said he was right. Two weeks later, the announcement was out.
...not a happy one, this one. But on September 9, 2001, Ahmad Shah Massoud was assasinated. There was shelling outside of Kabul. Gary said "I don't know what's up, but something major is about to happen. They've been trying to kill him for 10 years." Two days later, we were supposed to head into NYC - Gary said that morning, I've got a bad feeling, we're not going." We turned on CNBC, and about 10 minutes later, the first report of one of the Towers being on fire was on the news. Gary said "it's not a fire." Then they showed the footage - a plane flew into the tower. Gary said "This is it. This is not an accident." ....after the plane flew into the 2nd one, he said "The towers are going to collapse. They don't know it, and they're going to go down!" ...while they're on TV explaining about how they can't collapse.
It was all just so awful.
He predicted the collapse of the high risk mortgage lenders in December 2006 - he wrote they'd all be bankrupt by the end of 2007. (It began to happen February of 2007). He predicted the demise of Bear, Merrill & Lehman Brothers in October of 2007. Predicted the housing crisis that same time - and, more importantly, the impact it would have on the overall economy. Reiterated the housing disaster impact in Jan/Feb 2008 (I was writing about that here in the PL pretty regularly then). He also was publishing that we were already in the early stages of a recession in January 2008.
...and a fun one. We were at Disney World, Epcott Center. We were watching the Silicon Graphics presentation, and Gary interrupted the presenter twice to correct him. They were slightly annoyed. After the presentation, they chatted - he got the guy to call corporate - and corporate (who knew us) said - he's right! And the offered to let him make the next presentation if he wanted to. So he did! It was SO cool!
...We were at a security company, and they were showing us all their latest and greatest. Gary asked if he could "play" with their mainframe system. The guy laughed, and said something like "Yeah, right. If you can turn it on, you can "play" with it. In fact - if you can even turn it on, we'll hire you on the spot." You know where this is going.... he not only got it on, he figured out quickly how to use it - and found a problem in the video switching. They offered him the job.
.... We were visiting a well site, and they were getting close to hitting oil - and Gary asked if he could operate the drill. They didn't believe he knew what he was doing, but let him. He clearly knew what he was doing, and they let him punch through!
A quick one. We were at a defense company, and they were giving us a tour of their defense communication products, and Gary picked up one of the satellite manpacks, and broke down the pack down to how it travels and the guide came back over freaking out - and gary whipped out the antenna (which makes a big "crack" kind of noise") and we thought she was going to cry. One of the techs ran over laughing - and told her that's how it's used and how it works, and he did NOT break it.
There are so many more stories... meeting the Sultan of Brunei, the Oil Minister of Saudi Arabia... he's played golf with Richard Nixon, Spiro Agnew, Bebe Rebozo (sp?), Bob Hope (he was Jr. PGA and was taught by Doug Ford Jr). He was a pre-olypic skiier, hung out with Bonnie Raitt, was friends with Anne Wilson, Angus Young (AC/DC) for many years, is still friends with George Clinton (their manager didn't show up in the big snow storm in 2005, so Gary managed the band that night at BB King's). He also managed Nine Inch Nails when they started in Seattle.
...and he was the youngest Fortune 50 Manager ever. He had 6900 employees and 23 plants - at age 30.
The book I should write will probably begin.... "No one ever forgets Gary."
They may not remember individual events, or be aware of all of them - but they never forget him.
I really love this man.
But some pretty interesting and amazing things have happened with him in our travels and work on Wall Street.
When the Chinese launched a Hughes Satellite in 1995, it blew up and landed in shallow water. The minute Gary saw that, he said "I can't believe it, they're stealing the technology and Hughes is in on it!" It disappeared from the news. 8 years later - Hughes being indited and fined $32 Million for illegally transferring rocket & satellite technology to China.
We're having lunch in New York City and Gary's mom was visiting. We were at La Cote Basque, which we could afford at the time.
Gary continuously bashed former Secretary of the Treasury, Paul O'Neill in our morning notes. It alienated us from some customers.... until Paul O'Neill resigned - and basically confirmed everything Gary had been bashing him about (most importantly, just being a "cheerleader'). The calls and notes flooded in then.
In fact... in another La Cote Basque story... the morning he published the headline "Paul O'Neill and His Shameless Band of Hacks Take Their Weird Show to Tokyo," he had lunch with a customer scheduled at La Cote Basque. He called to cancel, and Jean Paul replied, " I am so sorry you have been unable to reach us all morning, but the Secret Service have been here, we've cleared you to have lunch despite our distinguished guests, so of course we expect to see you within half an hour." So Gary went. 10 tables were set up in the center of the room - and it was President Bush (this was January 2002), the First Lady, Governor and Libby Pitaki and a few regulars at La Cote Basque. Gary was introduced as one of their favorites, and Gary introduced the Chef (the owner) and the staff to the President and everyone. They asked him what he did, and he told them. He called our assistant on the phone and asked him to bring over a package. Of course - what's sitting on top? That morning's note bashing Paul O'Neill! Laura Bush looks at it and says, "but the O'Neills are very dear friends of ours." Gary replied, "And I appreciate that we live in a country where the first amendment is an important right blah blah blah....." and everyone else in the restaurant "tinked" their glasses with forks or whatever.
....or the time we're visiting a farm equipment manufacturer. We're chatting about all their lines and prospects and technology &etc., and Gary said, "but you always had a problem with the hydraulics on a number of models. Whenever you couple or decouple them, you get sprayed with hydraulic fluid." The CFO said, "Oh, we've corrected that problem - but how would you know about that?" (Most analysts don't actually use farm equipment.) Gary simply replied - I'd love to see a new model! ...so the CFO calls engineering to have them drive over a new tractor, takes us down to see it. Gary says - if you don't mind, I'd rather not do it. So the CFO goes to decouple it - and gets sprayed all over with hydraulic fluid.
...or the time we're visiting a different tractor company - very new, very advanced drive controls on their most advanced models. We're up in the cab looking around, and they offer to let Gary take it for a test drive. But they want someone to show him how to use it, so the guy left to get an instructor. Gary looks at me and says "Should I do it?" Of course! I say - "Go for it!" So he turns it on, and takes it out. We're flying through the field as he takes it through all the paces. Got it up to about 50 MPH (in a very muddy field). He REALLY put it through the paces. We fly back in and he parks it perfectly - slid it in sideways.
...not a happy one, this one. But on September 9, 2001, Ahmad Shah Massoud was assasinated. There was shelling outside of Kabul. Gary said "I don't know what's up, but something major is about to happen. They've been trying to kill him for 10 years." Two days later, we were supposed to head into NYC - Gary said that morning, I've got a bad feeling, we're not going." We turned on CNBC, and about 10 minutes later, the first report of one of the Towers being on fire was on the news. Gary said "it's not a fire." Then they showed the footage - a plane flew into the tower. Gary said "This is it. This is not an accident." ....after the plane flew into the 2nd one, he said "The towers are going to collapse. They don't know it, and they're going to go down!" ...while they're on TV explaining about how they can't collapse.
He predicted the collapse of the high risk mortgage lenders in December 2006 - he wrote they'd all be bankrupt by the end of 2007. (It began to happen February of 2007). He predicted the demise of Bear, Merrill & Lehman Brothers in October of 2007. Predicted the housing crisis that same time - and, more importantly, the impact it would have on the overall economy. Reiterated the housing disaster impact in Jan/Feb 2008 (I was writing about that here in the PL pretty regularly then). He also was publishing that we were already in the early stages of a recession in January 2008.
...and a fun one. We were at Disney World, Epcott Center. We were watching the Silicon Graphics presentation, and Gary interrupted the presenter twice to correct him. They were slightly annoyed. After the presentation, they chatted - he got the guy to call corporate - and corporate (who knew us) said - he's right! And the offered to let him make the next presentation if he wanted to. So he did! It was SO cool!
...We were at a security company, and they were showing us all their latest and greatest. Gary asked if he could "play" with their mainframe system. The guy laughed, and said something like "Yeah, right. If you can turn it on, you can "play" with it. In fact - if you can even turn it on, we'll hire you on the spot." You know where this is going.... he not only got it on, he figured out quickly how to use it - and found a problem in the video switching. They offered him the job.
.... We were visiting a well site, and they were getting close to hitting oil - and Gary asked if he could operate the drill. They didn't believe he knew what he was doing, but let him. He clearly knew what he was doing, and they let him punch through!
A quick one. We were at a defense company, and they were giving us a tour of their defense communication products, and Gary picked up one of the satellite manpacks, and broke down the pack down to how it travels and the guide came back over freaking out - and gary whipped out the antenna (which makes a big "crack" kind of noise") and we thought she was going to cry. One of the techs ran over laughing - and told her that's how it's used and how it works, and he did NOT break it.
There are so many more stories... meeting the Sultan of Brunei, the Oil Minister of Saudi Arabia... he's played golf with Richard Nixon, Spiro Agnew, Bebe Rebozo (sp?), Bob Hope (he was Jr. PGA and was taught by Doug Ford Jr). He was a pre-olypic skiier, hung out with Bonnie Raitt, was friends with Anne Wilson, Angus Young (AC/DC) for many years, is still friends with George Clinton (their manager didn't show up in the big snow storm in 2005, so Gary managed the band that night at BB King's). He also managed Nine Inch Nails when they started in Seattle.
...and he was the youngest Fortune 50 Manager ever. He had 6900 employees and 23 plants - at age 30.
The book I should write will probably begin.... "No one ever forgets Gary."
They may not remember individual events, or be aware of all of them - but they never forget him.
I really love this man.
