Giving Us the Business

BIG BREAK Greg Zuckerman got his big break at the Journal writing about the bond market which didn’t particularly interest him — but was the step to two decades of prestigious stints (Photos: Amir Levy)

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t’s rare to come across a teenager let alone an Orthodox Jewish one who’s had a book of his own published by age 14 but two teen co-authors — brothers too — is an absolute one-of-a-kind. Then again Gabriel and Eli Zuckerman have an exceptional role model in their dad Wall Street Journal business writer Gregory Zuckerman whose name graces the book’s cover as well.

Rising Above published this past May is intended to inspire younger readers with the stories of 11 pro athletes who faced and overcame daunting personal challenges to become stars in their chosen sports. For Greg the idea of melding two loves — in this case of family and writing — is nothing new. It’s something he’s done throughout his 20 years at the Journal and at the New York Post before that combining a lifelong interest in matters financial with an artisan’s affinity for words.

“I’ve always loved Wall Street” Greg muses as we sit down to chat in a conference room at the midtown Manhattan headquarters of Rupert Murdoch’s NewsCorp the Journal’s parent company. “In camp the counselors would leave on days off and bring me back the Barron’s financial newspaper. I was literally trading stocks during camp. What little bar mitzvah money I had I put into the market and lost most of it but it was good experience. And I always loved writing. But I never thought about combining these loves because I had never known anyone who’d been a journalist. How many day school kids go on to become journalists?”