Business Beat

In his relatively brief but meteoric public career, Eliot Spitzer has made a lot of enemies. His prosecutions, and the his public zeal and delight in them, have caused many to cringe, and worse.

Now that Spitzer has taken such a huge tumble, it's probably not shocking to see some of his prime targets swing back. In today's Wall Street Journal, Ken Langone, a former New York Stock Exchange director who now heads a small investment-banking firm, said of Spitzer, "He actually believes he's above the law."

As prosecutor, Spitzer sued Langone for his role in doling out the large pay package of former New York Stock Exchange CEO Dick Grasso. Langone said now, "I have never had any doubt about his lack of character and integrity -- and he's proven me correct."

As for Grasso himself, one of the biggest fish brought down by Spitzer, the former head of the stock exchange was not speaking publically about Spitzer. But Andrew Sabin, a friend of Grasso's who lives near him on Long Island, told the Journal that he spoke briefly with Grasso's wife, Lori. "I said I'd buy Dick some champagne," said Mr. Sabin, owner of precious-metals firm Sabin Commodities. "I'm sure he's happy. I'm sure everybody on Wall Street is happy."

The classic formulation is "Living well is the best revenge." But with Spitzer, it may be the ability to lash out at him without the fear of prosecution.

--Noel Rubinton