Nick Timiraos

Friends will tell you the picture, golf, guitar, philanthropy, time with grandkids, maybe a memoir somewhere down the line.

Everybody has their way relief stress, and Powell's is to play the guitar.

Hank Williams ballads.

From people I've talked to, he was genuinely looking forward to it.

He was counting down the days.

He said he felt like he had no choice.

And I read that as this is really the last card he could play.

And he doesn't think that he can walk away from the job while the relationship between the Federal Reserve and the executive branch is in as bad a state as it is.

This is about protecting the institution.

I think you're referring to this knack he has for repeating sentences backwards.

So if you say something, he can just take it and tell you what you just said in reverse order.

I have not seen him do it.

It's kind of an awkward thing to do in the moment.

I think it speaks to how his superpower has been his listening.

Whether it's meeting with his colleagues, meeting with politicians on Capitol Hill, he's in listen mode constantly.

Never mind that there really aren't carpets on Capitol Hill.

But the point stands.

He knew that whatever was coming, those relationships were going to matter.

You know something's going to happen, and it's good to have allies.

Four interest rate increases.