Peter Goldstein
About Peter Goldstein
Peter Goldstein serves as Secretary and Vice President of Ellsworth Growth & Income Fund Ltd. (ECF), with service “since 2020,” year of birth 1953, and a legal/compliance background rather than portfolio management responsibilities . He is General Counsel of GAMCO Investors, Inc. and Chief Legal Officer of Associated Capital Group, Inc., both since 2021 . Prior roles include General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer at Buckingham Capital Management, Inc. (2012–2020) and Chief Legal Officer and Chief Compliance Officer at The Buckingham Research Group, Inc. (2012–2020) . Fund-level performance context (not attributable to his role): ECF reported YTD return of 26.67%, NAV of $13.00, and a -9.54% discount as of 11/17/2025 .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buckingham Capital Management, Inc. | General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer | 2012–2020 | Legal and compliance oversight for asset manager |
| The Buckingham Research Group, Inc. | Chief Legal Officer and Chief Compliance Officer | 2012–2020 | Legal and compliance oversight for research/broker affiliate |
| Gabelli Funds, LLC | General Counsel | Since July 2020 | Legal leadership for fund-adviser affiliate |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| GAMCO Investors, Inc. | General Counsel | Since 2021 | Senior legal leadership at public asset manager |
| Associated Capital Group, Inc. | Chief Legal Officer | Since 2021 | Senior legal leadership |
Fixed Compensation
Officers of ECF are typically compensated by the Adviser (Gabelli Funds/GAMCO) rather than the Fund; the proxy reports compensation paid by the Fund to Trustees and any officers “if any” paid by the Fund, but does not disclose any cash compensation for officers, including Mr. Goldstein, paid by ECF . As such, base salary, target/actual bonus and other cash elements are not disclosed in ECF’s proxy.
| Component | 2024 (Fund FYE 9/30/24) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Base Salary (Fund-paid) | Not disclosed | Officers compensated by Adviser; no officer cash pay disclosed in Fund proxy |
| Target Bonus % | Not disclosed | Not disclosed by Fund |
| Actual Bonus Paid | Not disclosed | Not disclosed by Fund |
| Perquisites | Not disclosed | Not disclosed by Fund |
Performance Compensation
The proxy does not disclose any Fund-level equity, option, or performance cash plans for officers. No RSU/PSU grants, option awards, performance metrics, or vesting details are reported for Mr. Goldstein at the Fund level .
| Incentive Type | Metric(s) | Weighting | Target | Actual | Payout | Vesting |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RSUs/PSUs (Fund) | Not disclosed | — | — | — | — | — |
| Options (Fund) | Not disclosed | — | — | — | — | — |
| Annual Incentive (Fund) | Not disclosed | — | — | — | — | — |
Note: Any compensation for Mr. Goldstein would be paid by the Adviser and is not reported in this Fund’s proxy .
Equity Ownership & Alignment
| As-Of Date | Beneficial Ownership (Common) | % of Shares Outstanding |
|---|---|---|
| 12/31/2020 | 0 | <1% |
| 12/31/2024 | 0 | <1% |
- Shares pledged as collateral: Not disclosed in the proxy .
- Stock ownership guidelines (officers): Not disclosed in the proxy .
- Insider trading activity: No reported Form 4 transactions by Peter D. Goldstein in the past 18 months (third-party aggregation) .
- Section 16(a) compliance: Based on the Fund’s review of Forms 3 and 4 for FY 2024, applicable insiders complied with filing requirements .
Employment Terms
| Term | Detail |
|---|---|
| ECF Officer Title | Secretary and Vice President |
| Start Date at ECF | Since August 2020 (first disclosed), thereafter “since 2020” |
| Contract Term/Expiration | Not disclosed in proxy |
| Severance/Change-of-Control | Not disclosed in proxy |
| Non-compete/Non-solicit | Not disclosed in proxy |
| Clawback | Not disclosed in proxy |
| Pledging/Hedging Policy | Not disclosed specific to officers in proxy |
| Governance Role | Signs proxy as Secretary; supports Board processes and shareholder communications |
Investment Implications
- Alignment: Mr. Goldstein reported 0 common shares at both 12/31/2020 and 12/31/2024, indicating minimal direct equity alignment at the Fund level; no pledging disclosed. For trading signals, this suggests low risk of forced selling from vesting or pledge-related activity, but also limited “skin in the game” at the ECF entity .
- Compensation-related selling pressure: No Fund-level equity or option grants, and no disclosed vesting schedules, implying negligible insider selling pressure tied to vesting events at ECF .
- Retention risk: As a legal/compliance executive whose compensation is paid by the Adviser (not the Fund), retention dynamics are tied to the Adviser’s pay and contracts, which are not disclosed in ECF’s proxy; no severance/change-in-control terms are reported at the Fund level .
- Governance and role scope: His remit is legal and compliance (Secretary/VP; GC/CLO roles at affiliates), not portfolio management—so limited direct linkage between his incentives and Fund TSR/NAV outcomes, though his role is critical to regulatory and governance stability .
- Insider activity: No reported Form 4 activity for Mr. Goldstein over the last 18 months (third-party aggregation), and the Fund reports Section 16(a) compliance for FY 2024—neutral from a near-term trading signal standpoint .
Context: ECF’s YTD return was 26.67%, with NAV $13.00 and a -9.54% market discount as of 11/17/2025; these are fund-level indicators, not attributable to Mr. Goldstein’s legal role .