An investment banker who died at 89 left behind 24 rules for success in banking and in life

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An investment banker who died at 89 left behind 24 rules for success in banking and in life

richard jenrette

AP Photo/Joe Marquette

Richard Jenrette.

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  • Richard Jenrette, cofounder of investment bank Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette, died last week at age 89 from complications from cancer.
  • He left behind 24 handwritten rules for success, in banking and in life.
  • They include "Don't burn bridges (behind you)" and "Don't criticize someone in front of others."

Richard Jenrette spent 40 years on Wall Street.

Jenrette, cofounder of investment bank Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette, died last week at age 89 from complications from cancer. According to his obituary published in Bloomberg, Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette - abbreviated DLJ and founded with Harvard Business School classmates in 1959, two years after graduation - was the first member of the NYSE to go public in 1970.

Bloomberg also gained access to a document read at a memorial service for family and friends in Charleston, South Carolina after his death: a handwritten list of 24 rules for success in life and in business.

They include:

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  • Don't burn bridges (behind you)
  • Don't leave old friends behind - you may need them
  • Try to be nice and say "thank you" a lot!
  • Don't criticize someone in front of others.
  • Don't forget to praise a job well done (but don't praise a poor job)

You can see the full list, and the handwritten original, on Bloomberg.

In leaving behind his best advice for the rest of us to learn from, Jenrette is in good company.

Some of the most notable examples of the last century include Napoleon Hill in 1937, who interviewed 500 millionaires and packaged their go-to advice into the bestselling "Think and Grow Rich," which includes recommendations such as "Wishing will not bring riches," and "Practical dreamers do not quit!"

That same year, Dale Carnegie published "How to Win Friends & Influence People," a classic that Warren Buffett credits with transforming his life. Carnegie's book includes gems such as, "Any fool can criticize, condemn, and complain - and most fools do. But it takes character and self-control to be understanding and forgiving."

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