Ownership Submission
FORM 4
Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).
UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES

Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940
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(Print or Type Responses)
1. Name and Address of Reporting Person *
BLANKFEIN LLOYD C
   2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
GOLDMAN SACHS GROUP INC [GS] 		5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer
(Check all applicable)
_____ Director _____ 10% Owner
_____ Officer (give title below) _____ Other (specify below)
Chairman of the Board and CEO
(Last)
(First)
(Middle)
C/O GOLDMAN, SACHS & CO., 200 WEST STREET		 3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year)
10/17-04:00/2012
(Street)

NEW YORK, NY 10282		 4. If Amendment, Date Original Filed(Month/Day/Year)
 6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing(Check Applicable Line)
_X_ Form filed by One Reporting Person
___ Form filed by More than One Reporting Person
(City)
(State)
(Zip)
Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
1.Title of Security
(Instr. 3)		 2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year) 2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year) 3. Transaction Code
(Instr. 8)		 4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D)
(Instr. 3, 4 and 5)		 5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s)
(Instr. 3 and 4)		 6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I)
(Instr. 4)		 7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership
(Instr. 4)
Code V Amount (A) or (D) Price
Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share 10/17-04:00/2012   M(1)   34,909 A $ 78.87 1,821,217 D  
Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share 10/17-04:00/2012   S   26,621 D $ 123.916 (2) 1,794,596 D  
Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share 10/17-04:00/2012   S   7,797 D $ 124.6445 (3) 1,786,799 D  
Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share 10/17-04:00/2012   S   491 D $ 125 1,786,308 D  
Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share 10/18-04:00/2012   M(1)   33,927 A $ 78.87 1,820,235 D  
Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share 10/18-04:00/2012   S   33,927 D $ 125.0394 (4) 1,786,308 D  
Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share               342,331 I See footnote (5)

Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.
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Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
(e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)
1. Title of Derivative Security
(Instr. 3)		 2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security 3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year) 3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year) 4. Transaction Code
(Instr. 8)		 5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D)
(Instr. 3, 4, and 5)		 6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date
(Month/Day/Year)		 7. Title and Amount of Underlying Securities
(Instr. 3 and 4)		 8. Price of Derivative Security
(Instr. 5)		 9. Number of Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s)
(Instr. 4)		 10. Ownership Form of Derivative Security: Direct (D) or Indirect (I)
(Instr. 4)		 11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership
(Instr. 4)
Code V (A) (D) Date Exercisable Expiration Date Title Amount or Number of Shares
Nonqualified Stock Options (right to buy) $ 78.87 10/17-04:00/2012   M     34,909 01/02-05:00/2006 11/30-05:00/2012 Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share 34,909 $ 0 102,761 D  
Nonqualified Stock Options (right to buy) $ 78.87 10/18-04:00/2012   M     33,927 01/02-05:00/2006 11/30-05:00/2012 Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share 33,927 $ 0 68,834 D  

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address Relationships
 Director  10% Owner  Officer  Other
BLANKFEIN LLOYD C
C/O GOLDMAN, SACHS & CO.
200 WEST STREET
NEW YORK, NY 10282		       Chairman of the Board and CEO  

Signatures

 /s/ Beverly L. O'Toole, Attorney-in-fact   10/19-04:00/2012
**Signature of Reporting Person Date

Explanation of Responses:

* If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4(b)(v).
** Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations. See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
(1) Reflects the exercise by the Reporting Person of Stock Options granted in December 2002 and scheduled to expire in November 2012. This transaction was effected pursuant to a Rule 10b5-1 trading plan previously adopted by the Reporting Person.
(2) Reflects a weighted average sale price of $123.9160 per share, at prices ranging from $123.33 to $124.31 per share. The Reporting Person will provide, upon request by the staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Issuer, or a security holder of the Issuer, full information regarding the number of shares sold at each separate price.
(3) Reflects a weighted average sale price of $124.6445 per share, at prices ranging from $124.33 to $124.85 per share. The Reporting Person will provide, upon request by the staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Issuer, or a security holder of the Issuer, full information regarding the number of shares sold at each separate price.
(4) Reflects a weighted average sale price of $125.0394 per share, at prices ranging from $125.00 to $125.18 per share. The Reporting Person will provide, upon request by the staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Issuer, or a security holder of the Issuer, full information regarding the number of shares sold at each separate price.
(5) Held through trusts, the sole trustee of which is the Reporting Person's spouse and the sole beneficiaries of which are immediate family members of the Reporting Person. The Reporting Person disclaims beneficial ownership of these shares.

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