Money Was the Only Way

Ivan Boesky's first uncomfortable nickname came from his wealthy in-laws, who referred to him as "Ivan the Bum" for his lack of direction. No ring to it, but some truth. The young Boesky had put in stints at three different colleges before finally earning a degree from Detroit College of Law. Later he drifted from job to job, working unhappily as a law clerk and then as an accountant. "My father always considered him a ne'er-do-well," claims his estranged sister-in-law. But once the restless 29-year-old Boesky arrived on Wall Street in 1966, he would never again be indifferent. He was taken...