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Eliot Spitzer: Wall Street's Sheriff and His Legacy

Financial Times Companies •
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In the early 2000s, New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer launched a crusade against stock analysts who misled investors during the dotcom bubble, earning the nickname "Sheriff of Wall Street." His aggressive tactics forced major banks to reform research practices and made him a national political star, with speculation about a future presidential run. A personal scandal in 2008 abruptly ended his career, but his regulatory impact endures. In the latest episode of The Story of Money, host Gillian Tett interviews Brooke Masters, FT US managing editor and author of *Spoiling for a Fight: The Rise of Eliot Spitzer*, to examine how Spitzer reshaped financial regulation, why his methods drew both admirers and enemies, and why his legacy still matters today.

The podcast also promotes the FT Weekend Festival on September 5 at Kenwood House Gardens in London, with a 10% discount code FTPODCAST.