Safina was born in Brooklyn, New York on December 8, 1967, where at the age of 17 he founded a telecommunications company.[6] This hard work carried over into investment banking, a career he started in 1988[7] allowing him to become the youngest person in history to become approved by the SEC.[8]
Career
Safina began his investment banking career in 1988 by joining Gruntal & Co. where he was later named Senior Vice President.[7] After leaving Gruntal & Co. in 1993 he founded Nichols, Safina, Lerner & Co. Inc. (NSL), where he served as CEO.[9] Under his leadership, NSL grew into a 200 employee multi-location business that was involved in around a billion dollars in financing.[10] His work with NSL was featured in R.J. Shook's book The Winner's Circle II.[11] In 1997, he sold his interests in the company and became the CEO of Safina Asset Management now Safina Capital, a private equity investment firm. Most notably involved in bringing Financial Carrier Services (FCS) into the Inc 5000[12] where Joseph worked as a founding partner of FCS with Derek Skea.[13] Joseph was also notably involved in the founding of Loud Records helping the company to sell stock to Universal Music Group.[14][15] He later became Vice Chairman of Trimedia Entertainment Group Inc.,[16] and a major investor in Secured Health and Life.[17] In 2013, he sold Secured Health and Life to Health Insurance Innovations.[17] He is currently involved as a writer for Forbes Financial Council[7] and is an author, having written three books.[18]
Josephs love for cars extends beyond the track. He owns a body shop called Safina Performance where he and his team work on many high end cars, such as a 2011 Ford F-450 4x4 King Ranch that was modified into an all black fully loaded beast.[23] Joseph also worked with prominent auto shop Mobsteel to create a resto-modded 1964 Lincoln Continental, with a 427ci CobraJet V8, forged 22-inch alloy wheels, 12inch disk brakes, and a beautiful custom interior and exterior.[24]
Publications
Safina is the author of three books:
Driven: From Racing Tracks to Wall Street: One Man's Journey of Triumph, Loss, and Redemption (2019), a business memoir and motivational work.
Amici del Lago: Popular Italian Recipes & Home Cooked Meals For Family, Friends and Celebrations: A Cookbook (2021), a collection of essays inspired by automotive culture and personal growth.[25]
Deal Mode: Mastering the Art of Selling Your Company (2023), focused on negotiation and leadership in high-stakes finance.[26]
In an interview with Authority Magazine, Safina describes Driven as exploring the challenges of ambition, resilience, and navigating personal and professional obstacles.[8]
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