Lend Us Your Ear

You may think of the lenders featured in this magazine as gods of industry, impervious to the ups and downs of everyday life that we mere mortals experience. Not so. In fact, some  responses to what would be the theme song of their lives brought a wee tear to our eyes, because lenders? They’re just like us.

Case in point, Acore Capital’s Tony Fineman and BGO’s Abbe Franchot Borok choosing “Buy Dirt” by Jordan Davis (featuring Luke Bryan).

Because the truth about it is,
It all goes by real quick,
You can’t buy happiness,
But you can buy dirt.

Far from the glittering world of high-profile deals and schmoozing with real estate’s billionaires, the song is not — as the title may imply — about buying up plots to construct fancy condo towers or Class A offices. The 2021 hit instead describes the importance of investing in what really matters — family, home and a connection to your roots.

Staying in the country genre, KKR’s Matt Salem’s toe-tapping choice is a song that describes his time away from home: “On the Road Again” by Willie Nelson. Salem’s team racked up $5.6 billion in originations in the 12 months ending June 2025, and that ain’t happening without some serious steps (in cowboy boots, perhaps?) or air miles. Hopefully, some of that travel also takes him to Kansas City, and maybe a Chiefs game or two.

Speaking of sports, PGIM’s Bryan McDonnell opted for “Centerfield” by John Fogerty. “I’ve always been willing to try anything, so the line of ‘Oh, put me in, coach, I’m ready to play today’ always resonated.” You heard the man, PGIM!

Switching categories to crooners, we also had lenders who think alike. Wells Fargo’s Pete Cannava and BDT & MSD’s Jason Kollander may represent different financing sources, but both opted for Ol’ Blue Eyes’ “My Way.” As Frank Sinatra can attest, regrets, they’ve had a few, but then again, too few to mention.

Bringing the party to the magazine is cool cat Josh Zegen, who opted for Bruno Mars’s “Uptown Funk.” Call the police and the fireman because he’s makin’ a dragon want to retire, man! Madison Realty Capital has been closing deals coast to coast, so as the song says, “If we show up, we gon’ show out… Smoother than a fresh jar of Skippy!”

With titans of industry being surveyed on this all important question, the presence of a queen is to be expected (let’s face it, it’s borderline required). Fitting, then, that Queen Bey’s music was selected by both Berkadia’s Hilary Provinse and Nailah Flake, who chose Beyoncé’s “Who Run The World (Girls!)” and “I’m a Survivor” by Destiny’s Child, respectively. Nomura’s CRE boss Larry Kravtez chose “Born to Run” by The Boss.

Like all of us, Starwood’s Dennis Schuh and Affinius Capital’s Mike Lavipour seemingly have good days and bad, and picked two songs accordingly. Schuh picked “Walking on Sunshine” by Katrina and the Waves, and “I’m Still Standing” by Elton John, while Lavipour opted for “Eye of the Tiger” by Survivor but then added that some days are “realistically more like ‘Stayin’ Alive’ ” from the Bee Gees. We like the thought of our lenders animatedly dancing in a record store to “Walking on Sunshine” like Jack Black in “High Fidelity” or running up the Rocky Steps in Philly to “Eye of the Tiger” like Sylvester Stallone, so we hope the days that require those songs outnumber the others, gents! 

Similarly, Kennedy Wilson’s Pat Crandall is taking a sad song (but making it better) in choosing The Beatles’ “Hey Jude.” (To any kind of volatility next year he may say, “Naaa, na na nana nanaaah, nana nanaaah…”), and Goldman Sachs’ Scott Epperson’s theme tune is “Bitter Sweet Symphony” by the Verve.

“Not Afraid” of anything, is Peachtree Group’s Greg Friedman, who chose the NSFW Eminem song as his anthem. He was in good company with SMBC’s Alex Cabria who chose 2Pac’s  “When I Get Free,” a song “thematically about adversity and resilience, reflection and redemption,” adding that it’s “a complete banger.”

Last, but not least, while he may not live the Life of a Show Girl, J.P. Morgan’s Kurt Stuart implores you to listen to T-Swift’s “Opalite.”

“We talk all the time about attitude and effort,” he said. “This song (I think) is about choosing your own happiness. Give it a listen!”

When lenders talk, we listen.