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See, my love for my daughter should have been up here. Sadly, it was below the table where my other hand is. (via World Economic Forum)
Especially on a day when a huge revelation will be made of secret tapes made of discussions between the New York Fed and Goldman Sachs on banking regulations, it's really surprising to get such a sweet and heartwarming tale out of the finance sector. Mohamed El-Erian, 56, is a big deal in the business world, since he controls PIMCO, the institutional investment giant with over $2 trillion in assets. He made $100 million in 2011, and lives in Newport Beach, California (no cameos on The OC, though). PIMCO manages money for major pension funds all over the country—basically, he plays with huge numbers of people's retirement money, and when PIMCO invests in something, people notice.
However, El-Erian's daughter also noticed what a big deal he was in the investment community, but mainly because it meant he wasn't a big deal at home, or at least not present. This, it turns out, is why El-Erian suddenly (and at the time, without explanation) stepped down in January of this year. It sent shockwaves through the business press and his peers, but they probably could never have guessed why.
In an essay he wrote for Worth, he revealed the "wake-up call" he received from his daughter that led to this decision. After a normal parenting argument with his daughter over teeth-brushing, his daughter responded by going to her room and coming back with a slip of paper.
As El-Erian told Worth, "It was a list that she had compiled of her important events and activities that I had missed due to work commitments... The list contained 22 items, from her first day at school and first soccer match of the season to a parent-teacher meeting and a Halloween parade."
Feeling misty eyed? It must have been tough for Mr. El-Erian as well, "I felt awful and got defensive: I had a good excuse for each missed event! Travel, important meetings, an urgent phone call, sudden to-do," he recalled.
"But it dawned on me that I was missing an infinitely more important point ... I was not making nearly enough time for her." He concluded his essay by saying how his life had changed, from waking up at 4:30 in the morning to waking up his daughter for school, making her breakfast and driving her to class.
Looks like someone has discovered the truly valuable things in life. Of course, having hundreds of millions of dollars certainly helps when you need to play catch-up with your disaffected offspring, but it's very sweet, nonetheless.
(by Johnny McNulty)
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Not an actual photo of Jasmine Tridevil, believe it or not.
Such a dainty bear bite.
"What if I triple-promise not to eat you?"
The reason the word "awkward" was invented.
