About the Author

Shaun Hayes

Shaun Hayes was the cofounder and former CEO of Allegiant Bancorp, headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri. A Russell 2000 company, it was one of the largest publicly held bank holding companies then. Shaun started multiple successful businesses, was involved in the casino business, and bought, owned, and sold hundreds of residential and commercial properties. He is an entrepreneur, an author, a speaker, and a felon. 

After starting his first business at age 16, Shaun went on to open several other companies while in college. He was head of corporate banking for a large St. Louis bank by 26, bought his first bank at 29, and was CEO of a bank at 32. Shaun ran a public company at 35 and sold his company at age 44 for half a billion dollars. He had effectively risen to the top of the business world through hard work and innovative thinking, but his story didn’t end there. 

Five years after selling his company for an enormous profit, Shaun committed a felony. He was incarcerated for his crime eight years later. Shaun now shares what he learned from his rise and his fall—hard-won lessons that can benefit individuals, groups, and businesses. 

Shaun earned his BA/BS in finance from the University of Missouri, Columbia, and a graduate degree in banking from the Stonier Graduate School of Banking at the University of Delaware. He lives in St. Louis, Missouri, where he enjoys reading, exercising, and watching sports.