Who's the Next Bruce Wasserstein?

Who is the heir apparent to Bruce Wasserstein, the late chairman and CEO of Lazard Ltd., who died unexpectedly earlier this month? According to The Wall Street Journal’s Dennis Berman, no one. Berman writes that Wasserstein, a Wall Street figure so respected and feared he was usually referred to as simply "Bruce," was a one-of-a-kind character whose extravagant style and personal fame are the hallmarks of an past era. "The sports-car flash of Mr. Wasserstein's 'great man' style of banking had long dulled" even by 2006, says Berman. "Investment banking today is more about building a better minivan—reliable, practical, and adaptable." For Berman, "faceless brands" like Goldman Sachs are now the norm. Wasserstein may have "helped create an entire profession" but now "there are no more thrones, only factory floors."