First published 2008
RJR Nabisco president Ross Johnson hatches a secret plan to buy out his own company in October 1988. His scheme immediately attracts Henry Kravis, the leveraged buyout king of KKR, who sees an opportunity for the biggest deal of his career. Peter Cohen of Shearson Lehman Hutton partners with Johnson, desperate for a victory that will cement his firm's dominance in mergers and acquisitions. Ted Forstmann enters the fray, driven by both profit and rage at the corruption consuming his industry. Jim Maher leads a struggling team from First Boston, fighting to restore credibility to their decimated ranks. For two frenzied months, these titans clash over control of the company behind Oreos and Camels. Wall Street Journal reporters Bryan Burrough and John Helyar gained unprecedented access to boardrooms and strategy sessions, capturing every maneuver in this $25 billion war. The battle becomes a symbol of 1980s excess, where brazen egos and ruthless finance reshape American business forever.
Genres: history, 20th-century, business, crime, non-fiction, finance
Vibes: emotional, fast-paced, thought-provoking
Tropes: high-stakes, power-struggle
Setting: Wall Street
Period: 1988
563 pages · Hardcover · Harper Business