Jefferies CEO Rich Handler shares what he is thankful for this year

Jefferies CEO Rich Handler and Chairman Brian Friedman sent an open letter to their staff expressing what they are grateful for this Thanksgiving.

"This is the beginning of the season where we remind ourselves of our blessings and all we have to be thankful for in our lives," the note read.

In particular, the executives highlighted their gratitude for their country, which "encourages free speech, the pursuit of happiness, checks and balances, and the peaceful transition of rule," they said.

They also said they are thankful for the year ending "far better" than it started. Stock markets plummeted in the first six weeks of 2016, and deal activity cratered. Both banking and trading businesses have since picked up.

"We are thankful that our company, industry, and American way of life affords us the ability to provide well for our families," the note continued.

Here's the full memo:

This is the beginning of the season where we remind ourselves of our blessings and all we have to be thankful for in our lives.  We would like to share with each of you our personal Gratitude List:

1. We are thankful for the health and well-being of our loved ones, friends, associates and ourselves.   

2. We are thankful to live in a country that encourages free speech, the pursuit of happiness, checks and balances, and the peaceful transition of rule. 

3. We are thankful that the New York Giants spent so much money on their defense to supplement Eli and our amazing receivers and that we may actually be playoff contenders once again.  (Hopefully we didn’t just jinx it!) 

4. We are thankful and appreciative of the loyalty and continual expansion of our client base who consistently trust us with their important business. 

5. We are thankful that our year is ending far better than it started and setting up for a hopefully very strong 2017. 

6. We are thankful for the long term patience, confidence, and commitment from all of our Jefferies and parent company Leucadia shareholders, bondholders, rating agencies, and Boards of Directors. 

7. We are thankful that we have a firm with a wonderful and true culture that is based on integrity, transparency, flatness, commitment, tenacity, and entrepreneurism. 

8. We are thankful for all of our armed service people, policemen, firemen, and EMS that work so hard and dedicate and risk their lives to keep us all safe. 

9. We are thankful that our company, industry, and American way of life affords us the ability to provide well for our families, help friends in need, and give to important causes and those less fortunate.

10. We are thankful for having the best jobs anyone could ever ask for and each of you are the 3,321 reasons why.  Your hard work, commitment, dedication, loyalty, passion, sense of humor, and trust mean everything to both of us.  We would like to thank each of you and your families for being integral to the overall Jefferies family.  We are also deeply appreciative of the 28,677 other fine people who have dedicated themselves to our Leucadia investee and affiliated companies. 

Happy Thanksgiving and we hope you all enjoy everything that is important to each of you.

With Appreciation,
Rich and Brian

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