Rich Friedman on the Rise of Private Markets and AI Investing

Rich Friedman, chairman of Goldman Sachs Asset Management, says there are still plenty of investment opportunities in private equity, even as private markets have grown far larger than he would have imagined a few decades ago. In this conversation with Alison Mass, chairman of Investment Banking in Goldman Sachs Global Banking & Markets, on Goldman Sachs Exchanges: Great Investors, he explains why he expects the payoff in artificial intelligence to arrive later than the market assumes, and how the discipline he used to build the firm's merchant banking business over 45 years shapes where he is investing now.   [00:00] Introduction [00:49] First Day Memories [01:39] Wall Street In 1980s [03:44] A Battlefield Promotion [05:19] Mentors And Early Support [07:31] Building The Merchant Bank [12:43] First Movers In Asia [16:14] A Guiding Philosophy [19:24] Disagree Without Being Disagreeable [21:45] Discipline Versus Market Momentum [23:33] Private Markets Get Crowded [26:02] Lessons From Past Crises [30:32] Where Opportunity Lies Now [31:08] Lessons From Basketball [32:37] Philanthropy And Giving Back [34:55] The Goldman Sachs culture [36:33] Keys To Succeeding Today [37:53] Lightning Round This episode was recorded on July 28, 2026. The opinions and views expressed herein are as of the date of publication, subject to change without notice, and may not necessarily reflect the institutional views of Goldman Sachs or its affiliates. The material provided is intended for informational purposes only, and does not constitute investment, legal, or tax advice, a recommendation from any Goldman Sachs entity to take any particular action or be used as a basis for any other investment decision, or an offer or solicitation to purchase or sell any securities or financial products. Any forward-looking statements, case studies, computations or examples set forth herein are for illustrative purposes only. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Neither Goldman Sachs nor any of its affiliates make any representations or warranties, express or implied, as to the accuracy or completeness of the statements or information contained herein and disclaim any liability whatsoever for reliance on such information for any purpose. Each name of a third-party organization mentioned is the property of the company to which it relates, is used here strictly for informational and identification purposes only and is not used to imply any sponsorship, affiliation, endorsement, ownership or license rights between any such company and Goldman Sachs. This material should not be copied, distributed, published, or reproduced in whole or in part or disclosed by any recipient to any other person without the express written consent of Goldman Sachs. A transcript is provided for convenience and may differ from the original video or audio content. Goldman Sachs is not responsible for any errors in the transcript. © 2026 Goldman Sachs. All rights reserved.