Longtime members Sharon and Tom Hayes—private equity financiers from California—spoke with me at length, mostly aiming to demonstrate to me the fundamental “normalcy” inherent to club culture, which applies to all members, whether one is a CEO, a celebrity, or just a financier. Tom excitedly told me two stories. The first was the time he saw a nationally famous club member setting his ego aside. “There he was, bent over on one knee, tying his own kid’s shoe. Not his nanny nearby, but himself. It was unbelievable to see.”
