This text initially appeared on Enterprise Insider.
A brand new report from The Wall Road Journal sheds additional mild on how Goldman insiders really feel concerning the financial institution’s consumer-lending efforts with Apple.
One quote, particularly, stands out.
“We should always have by no means carried out this f—ing factor,” an unnamed Goldman accomplice, talking concerning the financial institution’s April financial savings accounts launch with Apple, reportedly advised others on the financial institution.
Collectively, Apple’s partnership with Goldman has yielded a number of client providers, together with an Apple bank card, the aforementioned Apple financial savings account, and a buy-now,pay-later service that lets prospects unfold out funds on bigger purchases.
However whereas Apple and Goldman have publicly touted the success of the assorted providers — Apple introduced earlier this 12 months that customers had deposited greater than $10 billion into financial savings accounts — the Journal’s newest report suggests Goldman could also be searching for the exit because it seeks to reduce its consumer-lending footprint.
Different Goldman insiders apparently agree with the unnamed accomplice’s feeling that the partnership was a mistake, the Journal reported.
This additionally is not the primary rumbling of unrest within the partnership. The Journal reported in July that Goldman was contemplating offloading its Apple partnership, probably to American Specific. However the firms have not spoken publicly of any adjustments. That very same month, Goldman CEO David Solomon advised traders and analysts through the financial institution’s second-quarter earnings name that the financial institution was making progress on its bank card partnerships, which additionally embody a bank card with Basic Motors, launched in 2020.
“We have additionally mentioned very clearly that our bank card partnerships are long-term partnerships…They undoubtedly can function higher,” Solomon mentioned on the decision. “We have been working arduous to enhance the operation of them … we’re making good progress on that. And we’re working with Apple and in addition with GM to try this.”
Apple didn’t reply to Insider’s request for remark forward of publication. A Goldman spokesperson declined to touch upon the Journal’s report.
However Goldman confronted mounting losses in its client banking enterprise through the pandemic, Insider’s Dakin Campbell reported in August 2022. In October 2022, Solomon mentioned that Goldman’s cope with Apple had been prolonged till 2029.
In the meantime, strain on Solomon has been rising.
Final quarter, Goldman reported its worst earnings in years. Based on Solomon, the gloomy numbers had been a part of the financial institution’s “journey” to chart a brand new path with its evolving technique.
Goldman experiences its third-quarter earnings Tuesday.