“Charity is good,” Douglas said of the record $28 million raised at the dinner. The actor said he still regularly meet fans of the film -- some inebriated -- who credit Gekko with inspiring them to work in finance.
“They’ll say, ‘You’re the man, you’re the guy, you’re the reason why I got into this business,’” Douglas told the crowd. “And I say to them, ‘But I went to jail.’”
Wall Street has gone through a lot since the movie came out. The glamour and avarice portrayed in the film has been overshadowed by financial crises, insider-trading cases and, most recently, heated election rhetoric. Through it all, the UJA Federation has held the annual dinner, shining a light on Wall Streeters who give generously.
Aronson, Solomon
Monday’s honorees were Aronson and Cowen Group President Jeffrey Solomon. They were celebrated for their support of UJA, which works to strengthen Jewish life in almost 70 countries and support social services for New Yorkers in need. Among others in attendance were Goldman Sachs Group Inc. Chief Executive Officer Lloyd Blankfein; BlackRock Inc. President Robert Kapito and hedge fund founders Dan Och, John Paulson and Boaz Weinstein.