Bloomberg – The office of Kenneth Moelis in Los Angeles is a shrine to an investment banking career spent catering to the rich. Shelves and a table groan under the weight of dozens of Lucite deal tombstones featuring companies controlled by Carl Icahn, John Kluge, Donald Trump, Steve Wynn, Sam Zell and other business-section boldface names.
“My job is to be ready when the bat phone rings,” says Moelis, 51, perched on the edge of a leather chair. He’s referring to the hot line used in the 1960s-era Batman television series. Reinforcing the point, a framed architectural drawing of the fictional Wayne Manor that housed Batman’s wealthy alter ego, Bruce Wayne, leans against a table.