“You know how money circulates through the economy,” Singer said in speaking to reporters. “It’s all very complicated but basically that’s what finance is.”

Money is a medium of exchange, but it’s also something that can be found in a wallet. It’s sort of like if you have a lemonade stand—you don’t want to just give away the lemons before you’ve squeezed them. Singer’s daily work is in making sure that sort of thing happens on a grand scale. That’s why it’s very important that he work 20 hours a day and wear power ties and have the firmest handshake of all the young associates.

“If the money weren’t doing the thing, there would be chaos,” he said.

The NASDAQ closed today at 4:00 p.m.