2024 HF Net Worth Check

Saw this thread on the PE forum and thought I’d create here, I’ll start

Years since college: 7 Years on buyside: 5 Net Worth: $1.3m Highest comp year: $950k Fund type: L/S pod

Had significant student loans/parents to take care of otherwise would’ve been higher NW by now

79 Comments
 

Hey man everyone starts somewhere. I know a lot of folks I graduated with who would kill to be in your position lol

"If you don't have any enemies in life you have never stood up for anything" - Winston Churchill | "It's a testament to the sheer belligerence of the profession that people would rather argue about the 'risk-adjusted returns' of using inferior tooth cleaning methods." - kellycriterion
 

11yrs total (2 IB)
9yrs pods 
$7m NW (incl everything) 
$4m highest

My NW has significantly inflected in the last 4-5 years (from 1ish to just about 7), so please take into account 1. I've been doing this for 9 years, 2. I worked for great PM early in my career and then took a chance working for a newer PM, who has crushed it. Onviously very fortunate and I've worked for great people. Didn't make the smartest PA decisions. IB comp was 150-175k, first 4yrs HF comp $300k - $1m, next 5 yrs $1.25m - $4m (but one of those yrs was $300k). YTD performance has been best yet, so expecting new peak (absent abysmal 2H). I know some of you will do the math and ask why I'm still an analyst if I can make $XX of PnL, happy to answer if interested (I will spin eventually). 

 

Pretty reasonable. Maybe 60 hours a week / higher during EPS. Stressful during drawdowns (recent $300k year was not fun), but good WLB. I'm married and we have a newborn, so I try to do ~6/7am - 6pm, read in bed, work half of sunday. Gym 4x a week. Travel somewhere 1x a month. Try to get decent amount of sleep. Wife doesn't work and we live in midtown so sometimes I'll go on walks with her during day. My WLB is good - not complaining. 

 

11yrs total (2 IB)
9yrs pods 
$7m NW (incl everything) 
$4m highest

My NW has significantly inflected in the last 4-5 years (from 1ish to just about 7), so please take into account 1. I've been doing this for 9 years, 2. I worked for great PM early in my career and then took a chance working for a newer PM, who has crushed it. Onviously very fortunate and I've worked for great people. Didn't make the smartest PA decisions. IB comp was 150-175k, first 4yrs HF comp $300k - $1m, next 5 yrs $1.25m - $4m (but one of those yrs was $300k). YTD performance has been best yet, so expecting new peak (absent abysmal 2H). I know some of you will do the math and ask why I'm still an analyst if I can make $XX of PnL, happy to answer if interested (I will spin eventually). 

What sector do you cover and was that your original coverage sector or did you switch? If so, why?

If you are making $2mm+ as an analyst with a carve, that must mean you are making $50mm+ of P&L on GMV. Why haven't you accepted a PM offer yet?

 

My take rate is higher than 4% (which would be implied by 2m bonus on 50 pnl) -- I get HSD. Started msd and have accrued more since then. 

On the PM point, I will eventually spinout. The reasons I haven't: I have a pretty good deal in current seat, and would like to stay at current platform, so will have that conversation soon. I will say: if I want the gross, I can get it. My take rate is already pretty high, and if I spunout, I'd have to pay people under me, and I think my net take rate would only be incrementally higher (maybe 10-12% after everything), though yes it would be on a bigger capital base. I like my current seat a lot, have a good deal with PM, and want to spin when time is right. Also only have 1 junior at the moment, and would like to train maybe 1 more junior person. 

What I've also thought of is switching platforms so I can have long non-compete - think this would be ideal when my kid is a little older in a 2-3 years. Think if I were to switch platforms in 2-3 years and be a PM there, could probably fetch a greater guarantee package by then

 

Years since college: 7

Years on buyside: 4

Net worth: $1.2m

Strategy: L/S equity SM

Highest comp year: $1.0mm (actually 1.002m). Having a good year as is the fund so expecting about $3m comp this year based on my payout with my PM/CIO.

 

How many years did you work in PE & IB each before moving to HF? Do SM HFs still recruit you if you stay in PE longer than 2-3 years?

 

Years since college: 9

Years since grad school: 2

Years on buy side: 5 (2 IB, 3 PE, MBA, 2 HF)

Net worth: $350k (slightly lower than one would think bc I paid for both UG and grad on my own (but with significant scholarships / fin aid))

Best year: $400k in my first year at my current fund but expect to make $750k+ this year as the fund had a killer year and I was the top performing analyst. 

Fund type: Concentrated long only

After 17 years of grinding through being the scholarship kid at my private high school to bussing tables at night during undergrad to working for sociopaths for half a decade in IB & PE, I expect to finally get a bonus check this year that should solidify my economic position...

 

This is a much better representation for where the average is. A lot of the posters above are in the top % of outcomes and/or must have a lot of family help (college, rent, etc.) to get to some of their outcomes.

 

Exited industry a decade ago, at that time:

YOE: 12
NW: $35m
Peak comp: $15m

Crazy lucky one year and found it hard to stay motivated. Some people are God tier and can snowball that into Citadel or Tiger Global before age 30. I knew it was luck and peak comp wouldn’t repeat.

Since then, got lucky again. Put 15% of NW into a startup that became a real company. Just about added a zero to NW.

Lesson learned? Be lucky. Also accumulate some capital and if spin out isn’t an option, when the job doesn’t compound anymore, invest for yourself.

Real alpha has so little capacity, much easier to double $1m PA than spending every iota of time and energy to grind out $20m market neutral P&L for a 5% payout.

 

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