"I am trying to be fit": The current issue of BusinessWeek has Lazard's Bruce Wasserstein featured as the cover story in an excellent piece entitled "The Taking of Lazard". In the article he addresses the rumors of health issues. While he didn't specifically say "NO, I AM NOT SICK", sure to be seized upon by some, he says of the talk: "It's just silly". That's a picture of him from the BW piece which we scanned from the magazine, since it didn't appear to be published on the site. From the article, the relevant passages regarding his health:
For Wasserstein, the strain of transforming Lazard was exacerbated by the terminal illness of his younger sister, the famed playwright Wendy Wasserstein, who died of lymphoma in January at age 55. Bruce assumed responsibility for raising Wendy's only child, a 7-year-old daughter. Wasserstein has two young sons of his own with his wife, Claude, and also is father to three adult children by an earlier marriage.
The once-portly Wasserstein lost so much weight in recent months that rumors began circulating that he was gravely ill. "It's just silly," says Wasserstein, who adds that he began exercising with a personal trainer to shed the pounds he piled on after joining Lazard. "I'm exactly the same weight I was 10 years ago. I go through these cycles. I am trying to be fit."
About 45 minutes into an interview, Wasserstein jumps up and walks across his office to fetch an elaborate coffee-and-ice-cream concoction melting on a table. "My secretary gave it to me," he says, attacking the drink with a plastic spoon.
"Is it your birthday?" I ask.
"No, no, it's to fortify me for my first press interview," he says, a bit sheepishly. "Oh, the horrors!"
The Taking Of Lazard - BusinessWeek
