Making Millions, Losing Millions, Finding Christ
On The Drew Mariani Show, Drew sits down with Peter Grandich, the former “Wall Street Whiz Kid,” to unpack his incredible journey from financial high-flyer to a man on the brink: and ultimately, to a deeply committed Catholic. This is not your typical Wall Street success story.
🌟 The Rise: From the Bronx to Wall Street
Peter grew up in the Bronx with a non-practicing Catholic dad and a non-practicing Jewish mom. God wasn’t really part of the picture. That is, until he met his Irish Catholic future wife and decided to become Catholic… purely to get married in Ireland! (Not exactly a St. Augustine-level conversion yet, but hey, it’s a start.)
With no college degree (and after surviving a stabbing in high school 😳), Peter somehow hustled his way into Wall Street, where he quickly made a name for himself. By age 28, he was predicting market crashes, showing up on Good Morning America, and living the dream. He had racehorses, racecars, and an expensive golf addiction… because why not?
💥 The Fall: When Success Isn’t Enough
Fast forward to the late 90s: Peter is living large, but then: BOOM! Bad investments, financial losses, and the first of three major battles with depression hit him hard. Money wasn’t filling the void.
Then, something happened:
✔️ He met Bill Wagner, a Catholic lay evangelist who became his best friend and mentor.
🏈 Football, Faith, and Finding Purpose
Peter was invited to a Christian athletes’ luncheon, where he shared his story. Afterward, a former New York Giants player, Lee Rouson, approached him and said:
🗣️ “God sent me to meet you so we could start a financial company for Christian athletes.”
Peter (a die-hard Jets fan) literally replied:
😂 “God couldn’t have possibly sent me to meet you. I used to root for you to drop the ball and die.”
(They started the company anyway.)
Through this, Peter got connected with the Giants’ team chaplain, started attending Christian events, and his faith started really deepening.
📉 The Breaking Point: Losing His Best Friend
By 2008, Peter was financially stable again, but he still wasn’t fully surrendered to Christ. Then, out of nowhere, a second, even worse depression hit. He was hospitalized. His Wall Street mindset of always chasing more wasn’t working. He finally downsized.
But the toughest test came in 2022, when his best friend Bill Wagner suddenly died. This sent him into his worst depression yet: one so bad he lost the will to live.
🙌 The Turnaround: Surrendering Everything to God
After coming through this final storm, Peter finally got the message loud and clear:
💡 Money isn’t security.
💡 Debt is a trap.
💡 God alone is the answer.
He closed his Christian athletes’ business in 2021 because he couldn’t compromise on faith and values anymore. Now, he speaks openly about faith and finances, warning people that money will never bring lasting peace.
🔥 The Final Lesson: A Biblical Approach to Money
Peter left us with this truth:
📖 There are more verses in the Bible about money than about Heaven or Hell.
Stay out of debt and trust in God, not your bank account.
🔗 Check out his book Confessions of a Former Wall Street Whiz Kid for free at petergrandich.com.
✝️ Final Thought
Peter’s story is a modern-day Prodigal Son meets Job meets Wall Street drama: except instead of crashing stocks, it’s crashing into Christ. If you’ve ever felt like you were chasing all the wrong things, his story is a reminder:
✅ God will strip away what’s keeping you from Him.
✅ Surrender isn’t losing; it’s finally winning.
🔥 Maybe it’s time to stop checking your portfolio… and start checking your soul.
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