1 EXHIBIT 23(a) CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT ACCOUNTANTS We hereby consent to the incorporation by reference in this Registration Statement on Form S-3 of our report dated January 16, 2001 relating to the financial statements which appear in the Salomon Smith Barney Holdings Inc.'s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2000. We also consent to the reference to us under the heading "Experts" in such Registration Statement. /s/ PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP New York, New York September 10, 2001