Ace Greenberg: The Best Memos From The Late Wall Street Legend

The legendary former CEO of Bear Stearns, Alan "Ace" Greenberg, died today at 86 of complications from cancer. Greenberg led Bear Stearns during its decades of growth, expanding it from 1,000 to 6,300 employees, before its 2008 collapse which helped precipitate the financial crisis.

He was respected and admired for his innovation, wit and inspiring management philosophies, all of which were beautifully captured in his 1996 book "Memos from the Chairman." Among the best-known missive was his legendary 1985 "paper clip" memo, which lectured his staff to save money by skipping paper clips and blue envelopes.

Here are some of most memorable memos (check out the hilarious footnote on the last one!):