The Savage Way: Successfully Navigating the Waves of Business and Life

Praise for The Savage Way

"Frank Savage is a great American success story, and the pioneering journey he takes you on in The Savage Way is guided not only by his boundless ambition, but also his high ideals."
MICHAEL R. BLOOMBERG, New York City Mayor and founder of Bloomberg LP

"The Savage Way is an American success story, the kind we don′t hear enough about: an African–American man who broke barriers in the rarefied world of international finance. Frank Savage′s story provides remarkable insight into the world he made his own, even when no one in it looked like him. It is also the story of the power of a Mother′s love and values, which he had no choice but to embrace."
Vernon E. Jordan, Jr., Esq., Senior Counsel, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, LLP, Senior Managing Director, Lazard Freres & Co.

"What always struck me about Frank was his obvious dedication to helping ensure that the young Democratic Republic of South Africa succeeds to address all its challenges. . . . I am certain that the younger generations certainly in the U.S. and Africa would do themselves a great favor by reading and learning from The Savage Way."
THABO MBEKI, President of South Africa, 1999 2008

"One of the qualities I′ve most admired about Frank is that he has made his big dreams a reality. And he has brought others along with him, opening doors for many people and creating opportunities for minority–owned businesses."
KENNETH I. CHENAULT, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, American Express Company

"Frank Savage could have stopped at writing an excellent and thought–provoking memoir. However, it has never been his way to do just enough. Savage goes further, sharing the valuable lessons of an extraordinary life, expressed through his love of sailing. Savage shows that not all paths to self–discovery and fulfillment are by land sometimes the journey is by sea."
EARL G. GRAVES, Sr., Chairman, founder, and publisher of Black Enterprise

Foreword ix

Prologue 1

Chapter 1 Too Much Money 9

Chapter 2 Getting In, Struggling Out, Getting Right 35

Chapter 3 La Savage, the Source and Inspiration 69

Chapter 4 The Journey to True Origins 99

Chapter 5 My Journey Deepens 127

Chapter 6 The Longer Road Home 147

Chapter 7 Africa Calls Once Again . . . 167

Chapter 8 Walking Over a Bridge Not Burned 203

Chapter 9 Sailing Lolita, Pulling It All Together 227

Epilogue 255

Lolita Racing Record 259

Acknowledgments 263

Index 265

FRANK SAVAGE, Chairman Emeritus of Howard University, served as chairman of Howard University from 1997 until 2004 and is credited with spearheading the widely successful Campaign for Howard. He is CEO of Savage Holdings LLC, a global financial services company. Prior to forming Savage Holdings, he was chairman of Alliance Capital Management International, a division of Alliance Capital Management, a $700 billion asset management subsidiary of AXA Equitable Life Insurance Company. Mr. Savage has had a distinguished career in international banking, corporate finance, and global investment management. He serves on the boards of several corporations and nonprofit organizations, including Bloomberg LP and the New York Academy of Medicine, having previously served on the boards of Lockheed Martin, Qualcomm, and the New York Philharmonic. Savage earned a BA from Howard University and an MA from the Johns Hopkins′ Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies. He was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters from Hofstra University and an Honorary Doctorate of Humanities from Howard University. Perhaps the award he is proudest of is the prestigious Lord Nelson Trophy as 2003 overall winner of the annual Antigua Race Week Regatta.