Greg Smith, former Goldman Sachs executive, is seeking a book deal

Greg Smith, the former Goldman Sachs executive who quit this month with a scathing criticism of the company's decline, has reportedly been meeting with publishers in the hopes of securing a book deal, according to the New York Times. 

Smith resigned from the financial firm in an incredibly public way on March 14 by writing an op-ed in the Times titled "Why I Am Leaving Goldman Sachs." 

"I believe I have worked here long enough to understand the trajectory of its culture, its people and its identity," he wrote. "And I can honestly say that the environment now is as toxic and destructive as I have ever seen it." 

Smith worked for the investment bank for almost 12 years, starting as an intern and working his way up to running Goldman's US equity derivatives business in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa from London. 

"According to several people who were present, Mr. Smith described his book as a coming-of-age story, the tale of someone who came into the business with good intentions and sky-high ideals that were ultimately pierced by Goldman's obsessive focus on making money," the Times reported, citing people with knowledge of Smith's conversations with publishers.

Some publishers, however, are wary of the "legal issues that could be involved with a former employee’s writing a damning book about a large, deep-pocketed company," The Atlantic commented. Publishers are also concerned that a book focused on the derivatives market won't appeal to a wide audience, and wonder if a mid-level employee can write a persuasive indictment of Goldman Sach's corporate culture. 

“The book will likely feel dated,” a publishing executive told the Times. “It’s a story that had its moment.”