Before closing out his radio show on SiriusXM, a DJ named Liquid Todd gave a shout-out to another artist whose remix of Fleetwood Mac’s “Don’t Stop” was about to debut.
DJ D-Sol turns out to be David Solomon, the president and co-chief operating officer of the investment banking giant Goldman Sachs. He also happens to be the recently christened front-runner to succeed Lloyd Blankfein as Goldman Sachs’ next chief executive.
Associates say Solomon, 56, claimed the inside track to be the public face of the Wall Street icon in part because of his outgoing personality. Having a side hustle as a DJ certainly didn’t hurt, based on the comments from some of his 4,212 followers on DJ D-Sol’s Instagram account.
“Good to see that even though you have an intense career you still find time to hit the decks and play the tunes!” wrote one commenter.
“Good luck on your new role at Goldman too!!” wrote another.
Solomon’s job moonlighting beneath the strobe lights was reported earlier by the New York Times. His public Instagram account gives some lens into DJ D-Sol’s stage life. In one post from Sept. 2017 at the Electronic Music Awards in Los Angeles, DJ D-Sol is dressed in all black, save for thick white headphones and white sneakers. He taps his right leg to the beat of his EDM remix as his right hand gently manipulates a board of sound dials and cables. Orange strobe lights reflect off his bald head.
In another post, DJ D-Sol sports a pink hat and a gray T-shirt, focusing intently on the screens and dials churning out the beat. He seems wholly unfazed by the scene right below him: a glistening Bahamas beach and a patio filled with tan, bikini-clad tourists hoisting drinks and selfie-sticks.
Solomon has also started experimenting with vinyl, which he described in a post as “old school … but very cool.” He recently performed at a New Year’s Eve party in the Bahamas and at the hip Manhattan nightclub Up&Down, where he came on stage at 11 p.m.
Sebastian Norena, director of special events at the Butter Group, which owns Up&Down, said Solomon doesn’t just stick to one music format — like hip-hop, top 40, or EDM — but uniquely mixes songs across formats and release dates.
“David has the ability to bring people together and make them have a good time with his music, no matter who they are or how old they are,” Norena said.
Musically, Solomon has a small following. But some who haven’t seen him perform seemed to need proof of his other persona.
Wrote one Instagram commenter: “I literally thought the DJ DSol thing was a joke. Damn that’s pretty sweet.”
Solomon joined Goldman Sachs as a partner in 1999. He was named to be the firm’s sole president and chief operating officer after Solomon’s other co-COO and co-president, Harvey Schwartz, announced his retirement. Solomon’s path to one of the most coveted jobs on Wall Street seems all the more definite given that days before news of Schwartz’s retirement, the Wall Street Journal reported that Blankfein could step down as soon as the end of the year.
As the Post’s Jena McGregor notes, Solomon has been dubbed Goldman’s “culture guy” who has promoted gender diversity at the firm, pushed to improve working hours of young employees, and emphasized work-life balance. Solomon’s background is in investment banking, compared to Schwartz’s career in Goldman’s trading unit. Schwartz also boasts a karate black belt. He does not appear to have an Instagram account promoting his athleticism.
“David’s always believed that having a wide range of outside interests leads to a balanced life and makes for a better career,” Jake Siewert, the global head of corporate communications at Goldman Sachs, told the Post. “He’s preached that regularly to younger employees in the firm and tries to lead by example.”
