David Solomon, Goldman Sachs CEO, joins 'Fast Money' to reflect on 9/11, New York Cities Resilience, his support for the FDNY, and more.
What David Solomon said
Written from the verified transcript and checked against it. Every figure links to the moment it was said.
David Solomon, CEO of Goldman Sachs, discussed the 25th anniversary of 9/11 and his upcoming FDNY Foundation honor. He emphasized the importance of commemorating the day, especially for younger employees, noting that 50% of the firm's 45,000 employees are in their 20s. Solomon praised the FDNY's over 15,000 firefighters and first responders, describing them as unsung heroes. He reflected on downtown New York's resilience post-9/11. Turning to markets, he called 9/11 a serious crisis that required policy action, unlike current market gyrations. He acknowledged a 90% chance of a 25-basis-point rate increase next week but professed uncertainty about short-term outcomes. Optimistic about the next 5-10 years due to technology and U.S. preeminence, he stressed the need for guardrails and public-private cooperation to manage technology, analogizing to nuclear weapons regulation.
Key takeaways
Solomon says 50% of Goldman Sachs' 45,000 employees are in their 20s, so many lack direct memory of 9/11, making commemoration crucial.
Solomon calls 9/11 a serious crisis that changed behavior and required policy action, unlike current market gyrations.
Solomon acknowledges a 90% probability of a 25-basis-point rate increase next week but says he has no idea what will happen.
Solomon is optimistic about the next 5-10 years, citing technology and U.S. preeminence, but expects bumps and needs guardrails.
Solomon describes the FDNY as unsung heroes, with over 15,000 firefighters and first responders, and says agreeing to the award was an easy yes.
the 184 people killed there when American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the building. President Trump delivering remarks during today's ceremony. Now, as we look back and we look forward, we're joined by David Solomon, CEO of Goldman Sachs. He was with the firm on that fateful day. Next week, he'll be honored by the FDNY Foundation, receiving the Fire Commissioner's Humanitarian Award. David, it is a pleasure to have you here, especially on a day like today. Thanks for joining us.
Thank you. I'm really happy to be with you. It is a solemn day, but also it's important for all of us to never forget, and to talk about it and make sure people always remember. And I'm so honored and humbled for the fire department, the FDNY Foundation event next week. Our firemen and first responders are incredible, and they deserve to be honored. They work incredibly hard and take enormous risks to keep us all safe every single day. And it's really just a privilege to participate in an event that really does a lot to try to support them. I mean, this is the most incredible fire department in the world here in New York with, I think, over 15,000 firefighters and first responders. And they're just such a vital part of the city, and I'm pleased to be supporting them. But it's an interesting day of reflection for all of us.
Yeah. "Never forget" is something that we say every year on this day. And at a firm like Goldman Sachs and other places in the country, there are people who work at Goldman Sachs now who were not alive, I'm sure, when this happened. So what does that mean when you say "never forget" for the firm, and in what you do there and how you commemorate this day?
Well, we always try to do a bunch to commemorate this day. And you're right, there are people—I mean, if you're 25 years old or less, and we're a firm actually where 50% of the firm is in their 20s. We have 45,000 employees around the world; 50% of the firm are in their 20s. So if you're in your 20s, you might have been born when this occurred, but you certainly don't have any direct memory of this. And so I think it's important every year that we mark it and we commemorate it. But on the 25th, I think it's been more important. And so we've done a little bit more this year. We obviously observed a moment of silence at 8:46, and we actually broadcast in our building in New York something that I had written and read, just kind of commemorating, especially those lives that were lost, all the lives that were lost, and others that since, because of medical conditions, have further suffered. But we also every year do something from a community service perspective and find ways to give back and support the community. And I think there's a bright side to all of this, because I remember so vividly afterwards how people thought downtown would never come back. And you look at how vibrant downtown is. This is a great story of resilience. It's a story of how people come together to really work together, to show the best of what we are as a country, this great country. And it's important to talk about that and remember it. And really, we shouldn't need events like this to come together and do the right thing and really make progress as a community. And this is an important day to do that.
David, we talk about the firm a lot on the show, as I'm sure you know. Since you took over in October of 2018, stock's up 360-something percent; broader markets up half of that, less than half of that. So you've obviously done a spectacular job, and we openly talk about it here. But with that comes opportunities like this. You get asked to do a lot of these types of events. But I know for a fact, when they asked you almost a year ago, you said yes immediately to do the FDNY. Why?
I've just always had such admiration for the FDNY. They really do keep us safe all the time. I think they're unsung heroes that don't get enough attention and recognition for the service that they provide. And my partner, Tony Pasquariello, has been involved in the FDNY Foundation for a long time. The firm has been big supporters of the foundation for a long time. And I was just so humbled and flattered to be asked. I do get asked to do a lot of things, but this was an easy yes. It was an easy yes. And I'm thrilled to be a part. I know you also now for three years or four years have emceed the event.
Yeah. No, I mean, that is small potatoes compared to what everybody does. But the fact that you're doing this, I know how thrilled everybody is. And on Thursday, you're going to be 1,500 people on Randall's Island, and it is a spectacular event. Folks should—if you can't go this year, you should think about going because you see these guys and gals up close and personal. And of all the events I go to every year, this is the one I look forward to the most. And this year, honoring you is a real thrill.
7 more exchanges in this transcript
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Solomon, D. (2026, September 11). Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon reflects on 9/11 as NYC marks the 25th anniversary of the attacks [Interview transcript]. CNBC Television. CEOInterviews.AI. https://ceointerviews.ai/interview/1337707/
MLA
David Solomon. "Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon reflects on 9/11 as NYC marks the 25th anniversary of the attacks." CNBC Television, 11 Sep. 2026. Transcript, CEOInterviews.AI, https://ceointerviews.ai/interview/1337707/.
BibTeX
@misc{solomon2026_1337707,
author = {David Solomon},
title = {Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon reflects on 9/11 as NYC marks the 25th anniversary of the attacks},
howpublished = {Interview transcript, CNBC Television. CEOInterviews.AI},
year = {2026},
month = {sep},
url = {https://ceointerviews.ai/interview/1337707/},
note = {Speaker-attributed transcript with timestamps}
}
