Goldman Sachs is replacing Lloyd Blankfein as CEO, the company announced Tuesday, meaning the 63-year-old can finally take full advantage of a favorite pastime: Twitter.
“I’ll probably follow people’s advice and take at least a couple of weeks off,” Blankfein told The New York Times. “Here’s one thing I look forward to: unrestrained tweeting.”
Blankfein’s tweeting habit has rippled across the internet and media, especially several somewhat critical posts in reference to President Donald Trump. He’s even appeared to troll the president, tweeting during the solar eclipse last August that he wished “the moon wasn’t the only thing casting a shadow across the country.”
Blankfein told CNBC’s Wilfred Frost in an April 18 interview that he “discovered the instrument,” embracing Twitter more than four years after Goldman led the company’s $1 billion initial public offering. He remains in touch with Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey.
“I like the fact that it is short,” Blankfein told CNBC. “I think it’s a challenge to say what you want to say, be a little bit provocative, not too provocative and say that in a small space.”
The outgoing chief executive also told the New York Times that he wasn’t burnt out at Goldman but that his successor, president David Solomon, was ready to go.
“Could it be later? I’m not tired. I’m well. I’m not out of gas,” Blankfein said in the interview, before adding that, “David is ripe and ready and the right guy.”
Blankfein will remain chairman until the end of the year. Solomon starts as CEO on Oct. 1.
