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Perhaps more than any other individual, Amadeo Peter Giannini–also known as “the people’s banker”—propelled California into the twentieth century. By extending credit to working people and building a vast branch-banking network, this son of Italian immigrants helped the state grow faster than any other before World War II. In this authoritative biography, Felice A. Bonadio portrays the founder of Bank of America as a bold, relentless financial visionary, keenly aware of his minority status in a business world dominated by the eastern Protestant elite.
More than an underdog success story, this is the portrait of a driven, complex man devoted to serving “the people.” Fiercely protective of his bank and tireless in its defense, Giannini inspired both loyalty and opposition. He pioneered employee ownership and profit sharing; at his death in 1949, nearly 40 percent of Bank of America shares were owned by employees. Personally indifferent to great wealth, his estate was modest.
Drawing on private Federal Reserve papers, confidential Bank of America archives, and interviews with family members and executives, Bonadio offers a richly detailed account of a man whose influence endures.