Peter Goldstein
About Peter Goldstein
Peter Goldstein (born 1953) serves as Secretary and Vice President of The Gabelli Equity Trust Inc. (“GAB”) and has held these officer roles since 2020, based at One Corporate Center, Rye, NY 10580-1422 . He concurrently serves as General Counsel of GAMCO Investors, Inc. and Chief Legal Officer of Associated Capital Group, Inc. since 2021; previously, he was 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) . He signs the Fund’s proxy materials in his capacity as Secretary (e.g., 2025 Annual Meeting) . Fund-level TSR, revenue growth, and EBITDA growth metrics for his tenure are not disclosed in the proxy statements.
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buckingham Capital Management, Inc. | General Counsel & Chief Compliance Officer | 2012–2020 | Led legal and compliance functions for investment management operations |
| The Buckingham Research Group, Inc. | Chief Legal Officer & Chief Compliance Officer | 2012–2020 | Oversaw legal and compliance for research/brokerage activities |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| GAMCO Investors, Inc. | General Counsel | 2021–present | Enterprise legal leadership for adviser to the Fund Complex |
| Associated Capital Group, Inc. | Chief Legal Officer | 2021–present | Legal oversight across affiliated investment entities |
| The Gabelli Equity Trust Inc. (Fund) | Secretary & Vice President | 2020–present | Officer responsible for governance documentation and Board support; signs proxies |
Fixed Compensation
- GAB’s compensation tables disclose director fees and, if any, officers compensated by the Fund rather than the Adviser. Peter Goldstein is not listed among officers receiving compensation from the Fund in FY2024 or FY2023, indicating his compensation is paid by the Adviser (Gabelli Funds/GAMCO), not by GAB .
- Example of Fund-paid officer compensation for context: Molly A.F. Marion (Vice President and Ombudsman) received $80,406 from the Fund in FY2024 .
Performance Compensation
- The Fund’s proxy statements do not disclose any performance-based incentive structures (bonus targets, RSUs/PSUs, options, vesting schedules, or performance metrics) for Peter Goldstein at the Fund level; officers are generally compensated by the Adviser and not by GAB .
Equity Ownership & Alignment
| Metric | As of Dec 31, 2023 | As of Dec 31, 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Common shares beneficially owned | 0 | 0 |
| Percent of shares outstanding | <1% (asterisk denotes <1%) | <1% (asterisk denotes <1%) |
- The proxy statements state an asterisk indicates less than 1% of total shares outstanding for the individual; Goldstein’s entry shows 0 shares in both years, reinforcing minimal direct equity alignment at the Fund level .
- The Fund listed no persons owning >5% of Common Stock as of the 2025 record date; preferred ownership was concentrated among certain holders, but this does not affect Goldstein’s zero common share position .
Employment Terms
| Term Item | Disclosure |
|---|---|
| Fund officer start date | Since 2020 (Secretary & Vice President) |
| Office address | One Corporate Center, Rye, NY 10580-1422 |
| Proxy authority | Signs proxy materials as Secretary (e.g., April 2, 2025 notice) |
| Attorney-in-fact activity | Signed a Form 3 for a Director (Eileen Nakamura) as attorney-in-fact (March 13, 2025) |
- No employment contract, severance, change-of-control, non-compete, clawback, or equity pledging/hedging provisions are disclosed for Peter Goldstein in the Fund’s proxy statements .
Investment Implications
- Alignment: Goldstein holds no GAB common shares as of 2023 and 2024, implying limited direct pay-for-performance alignment at the Fund level; however, as a Fund officer employed by the Adviser (GAMCO/Gabelli Funds), his compensation and incentives are set at the adviser level rather than by GAB’s Board .
- Selling pressure: With zero reported share ownership, insider selling pressure tied to his holdings is effectively absent for GAB .
- Governance and execution: His long-standing legal roles and attorney-in-fact activity (e.g., for a Director’s SEC filing) point to deep involvement in governance and transactional execution (including tender offer materials listing him as legal contact), which can be positive for regulatory adherence and corporate actions, but does not provide trading signals by itself .
- Compensation risk: Because officer compensation is borne by the Adviser, Fund-level disclosures do not provide visibility into his salary, bonus targets, or equity awards—limiting direct assessment of pay-for-performance or retention risk at the Fund level .