The Sandy Weill story is truly one for the ages. Starting with $30,000 of borrowed cash in 1960 and relying upon uncanny entrepreneurial instincts in the corporate world, Sandy Weill made himself into a billionaire. With an amazing ability to put together huge deals, this businessman from modest roots ultimately rose to become president of American Express, only to see his empire crash and burn. Undaunted, Weill then started over with a second-tier consumer loan company called Commercial Credit, which eventually led to his top position at CitiGroup before he retired. At CitiGroup, Weill delivered an astounding 2600% return to investors — better than Jack Welch or Warren Buffett during that same period. But success is never an easy path and, in THE REAL DEAL, Sandy Weill presents all the high and low points of his career along the way — warts and all. Weill's ascent to power has been documented by the business media over the years, but never before has Sandy gone on the record to tell readers his unvarnished side of the story.