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By Mario Mancini
Jonathan Kaye, a millionaire investment banker and managing director at Moelis & Co., who previously emphasized the importance of empathy and understanding in professional life, allegedly punched a woman in the face during a Brooklyn Pride event over the weekend, The NY Post reported
The shocking incident, caught on camera, has gone viral, casting a dark shadow on Kaye’s public persona.
Social media users identified Kaye as the man seen in the video delivering a brutal punch to the woman, causing her to fall to the ground on a Park Slope street Saturday night. The footage, now widely circulated, shows the violent act occurring amidst a crowd of partygoers celebrating Brooklyn Pride.
Following the video’s spread, a podcast interview from last year resurfaced where Kaye extolled the virtues of mentoring and developing soft skills. He spoke passionately about the importance of empathy, resilience, and understanding others’ motivations as essential skills for success beyond mere technical proficiency, The NY Post pointed out .
“You should learn the hard skills as fast as you can, but in the end, it’s really the skills of grit and resilience, learning how to listen, understanding what is motivating other people, and empathy — those are the indispensable skills that separate you from a calculator,” he stated on the “LSE Focal Point Podcast.”
In the same interview, Kaye recounted his challenging start in the finance industry, describing Wall Street as a “merciless place.” He stressed the importance of consistency, reputation management, and navigating difficult interpersonal situations. These statements now seem deeply ironic given the violent nature of his actions captured in the viral video.
In response to the incident, Moelis & Co. confirmed they are investigating the matter. “We have become aware that one of our employees was involved in a serious incident in Brooklyn on June 8. We take this matter very seriously and are conducting an investigation,” a company spokesperson told The Post. However, they did not confirm if Kaye was the employee in question or if he would face any disciplinary action.
Kaye, who has led the Global Business Services franchise at Moelis & Co. since 2013, declined to comment when approached by The Post. The NYPD also reported no information on the assault, leaving many questions unanswered.
The assault occurred during the 28th annual Brooklyn Pride Multicultural Festival, a vibrant event that includes a 5K run and a parade along Fifth Avenue. The video shows the woman clutching her injured face and collapsing to the ground, with another person also seen lying injured nearby, NY Post reported.
. Onlookers reacted with shock and anger, hurling insults at Kaye as he walked away, appearing flustered and wearing a jacket stained with liquid. “She f–king threw s–t all over me,” Kaye can be heard saying in the video, attempting to justify his actions amidst the crowd’s outrage.
Reports indicate that the woman suffered a broken nose, while another individual’s arm was injured in the altercation. The luxurious backdrop of Kaye’s life contrasts sharply with this incident; he resides in a four-bedroom townhouse in Park Slope, valued at over $4 million, just a short distance from Ginger’s Bar, one of Brooklyn’s last remaining lesbian bars.
Kaye’s background in finance includes his previous experience as managing director of Citi Bank’s Global Mergers & Acquisitions Group.
