According to several analysts, a Goldman banker made a plea to keep Mr. Noto last year.

But senior Goldman bankers have frequently said that they are content with their partnership structure.

That situation has since resulted in shareholder lawsuits and hours of depositions from Goldman bankers.

The figures were certainly good news to the scores of Goldman bankers and traders who will find out, starting today, what their bonuses will be.

Goldman bankers burned up the phone lines in the first week of January, pushing many of their best American clients to invest in the deal.

Goldman bankers from both London and Frankfurt had approached the German company in 1990 about the prospects of a sale.

There, the Goldman banker outlined the reasons that Docks de France might have a problem.

Mr. Flowers's announcement caught some Goldman bankers by surprise, executives close to the company say.

As a public company, Goldman bankers say they would seek to buy other American and foreign finance companies.

One Goldman banker described this as "getting rich slowly."