Epstein Files: People We Don't Like, Including Kathryn Ruemmler.

 Those getting the brunt of the bad publicity and even loss of titles (like Leon Black and Larry Summers) because of the Epstein connection could be taking such a hit because of this simple reality: We don't like them. Across sectors, likability is the survival platform.

On that list on unlikables could be added top lawyer at Goldman Sachs Kathryn Ruemmler. The Wall Street Journal just published a very long-form analysis of her relationship with the late disgraced pedophile. 

Internally, she could be on thin ice:

"The extent of their relationship has drawn scrutiny inside Goldman Sachs, where the 54-year-old lawyer is general counsel and a top adviser to CEO David Solomon." 

Those who can decode corporatespeak point to the red flags in sizing up her chance of holding onto her job. They include phrases such as having the full support of the board. Yeah, sure. 

Externally, the reputational risk can be equally great. For her next those in the loop will size up how she's faring in public opinion. 

Unlike Bill Clinton who so far has held up in the reputational carnage, Ruemmler is not all that likable. At least to some of us. Recall how many times we've forgiven the lower-lip-biting Bill for indiscretions. 

In the emails, much like Summers, she seems to exhibit smug superiority. How about the reference to obese people at the rest stops along the highway she uses to "pee?" That's most of us.

According the the CDC almost 42% of us are obese. Many cannot afford wellness-type foods. Also many are working such long hours they have no time for exercise. As we age, typically we cross the line from being a few pounds overweight to being in dangerous territory about fat mass. Did Kk Ruemmler spot me at the rest stop?

And, what about the tone of those internal memos at Goldman from her?

Also not likable is the seeming raw ambition, so unattractive in a female though with males we often give it a free pass. Did she nurture Epstein on her network because he was a source of client referrals when she was a partner at Latham? Since she was in court as his legal issues were processed she had to be aware of some of what he could be up to. Would a less hungry female lawyer veer away from that whole ball of wax? 

And there's the reality of her very partial disclosure to Goldman when being vetted in 2020 about the extent of the Epstein connection. Turns out that was quite far-reaching. We dislike that kind of too-clever-by-far behavior in a woman. 

The comments to that WSJ article mostly give the thumbs down to Ruemmler's being able to remain at Goldman. No question, there is a double standard when females get caught up in a scandal. That negative force field builds up quite a head of steam if they're also unlikable. The vulnerable Jane Fonda, who gave us great acting for years, was forgiven for her lefty follies.

Success is a mental game. Failure comes from being done in by the “committee” in your head.

Together, we liberate your thinking. Then we change your story. And, unleash success.

Intuitive Coaching. Special expertise with transitions, becoming a solopreneur and aging. Psychic/tarot readings, upon request. Complimentary consultation with Jane Genova (Text 203-468-8579, janegenova374@gmail.com). Yes, test out the chemistry. Zero risk.

Don’t give up before the miracle.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

America Not Hiring in 2026: Back to Golden Age of Solopreneurs?

 For hiring, 2025 was a brutal year to search for a job. The Wall Street Journal reports that 2026 could be worse: "At a gathering of CEOs in Midtown Manhattan this month organized by the Yale School of Management, 66% of leaders surveyed said they planned to either fire workers or maintain the size of their existing teams next year. Only a third indicated they planned to hire." The WSJ adds that pullback from adding manpower could be temporary. But given shareholders' demand for cost-efficiency and the continual improvements in AI, chronic unemployment could become standard. However, there is a solution. An old-fashioned one. That's becoming a solopreneur, that is setting up your own business without partners or employees. The model dates back to ancient times.  The golden age of the solo business owner in America had been from the late 1800s to about the mid 1920s.  There had been a wave of immigrants, discrimination against them and few jobs. They drove pushcarts ...
Read more

Newly Minted PhDs in Economics Face Unwelcoming Job Market: Of Course, I Left My PhD in Humanities Off the Resume

Monitor postings on Reddit subunits focused on careers and it's no longer news that PhDs, both newly minted and those already in the labor market, generally are finding the credential an obstacle in the search for a job or even contract assignments. No, not an asset.  Let's cut to the chase. The highly educated have to get smart about this, fast. With some exceptions, I advise those I coach to leave the PhD off job-search materials. The negative assumptions among those hiring range from that you expect too much money to you'll be a know-it-all.  When my boutique collapsed post-9/11 and I had to land a survival job I lopped off everything but the BA. At the interview I dumbed-down my vocabulary. Sure Harvard was started in 1636 but America remains anti-intellectual. In addition, the integration of AI into strategy and operations makes knowledge work in general less and less marketable.  That's the narrative of our times: Advanced degrees having low or no ROI. The result,...
Read more

Mr. Paul Weiss Goes to Washington

In college, backgrounders state that Brad Karp, the long-time chair of law firm Paul Weiss, toyed with the idea of a career path in politics. The specific focus was about running for Congress. Instead, though, he accepted admission to Harvard Law School (turned down the one to Yale) and that was that. Now, during the current crisis for law firms, under comprehensive attack by the Trump administration, Karp seems to be showcasing his inner politico. The guy is a smart strategist. Semafor reports that Karp has gone to Washington. There his objective seems to be to create lines of communication with a power force which, as Steve Bannon puts it, wants his firm and other elite firms out of business. Already Paul Weiss has lost one client as a result of an Executive Order. One way he is trying to connect, notes Semafor:  "Karp ... is discussing a particular path back into the administration’s good graces: helping the White House respond to alleged instances of antisemitism that came...
Read more