Rigid Thinking

Rigid Thinking

Share this post

Rigid Thinking
Rigid Thinking
May your name never be a trending topic

May your name never be a trending topic

We have our scapegoat for the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank, despite him never having worked for Silicon Valley Bank.

Damian Penny's avatar
Damian Penny
Mar 17, 2023
∙ Paid
1

Share this post

Rigid Thinking
Rigid Thinking
May your name never be a trending topic
Share

Poor Joseph Gentile must have the worst luck imaginable. After his stint as CFO of Lehmann Brothers, the collapse of which precipitated the 2008 financial crisis, he went on to work as Chief Administrative Officer for Silicon Valley Bank, the collapse of which precipitated what might very well be the 2023 financial crisis.

What are the odds, huh? Talk about failing upward.

Because of his bad luck, Mr. Gentile now finds himself marked as the personification of reckless banking practices, corporate greed, and very possibly bailouts that will leave taxpayers on the hook for what bad decisions made by rich people.

Keep reading with a 7-day free trial

Subscribe to Rigid Thinking to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.

Already a paid subscriber? Sign in
© 2025 Damian Penny
Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start writingGet the app
Substack is the home for great culture

Share