Accounting at Private Equity Firms and Hedge Funds

Hey guys I have a few questions about accounting. As far as I can tell, accounting in Big 4 more or less doesn't begin to pay off until your mid-late thirties when you start making 300k and up. But I was wondering if the situation is any better at hedge funds or private equity funds that have ~1 billion in AUM? Does the pay increase accelerate so that you can make more a few years earlier than the projected age for Big 4? Also, do the CFO's truly rake in ~1-5 million/year in their 30's? I figure if I make it to VP level in about 10 years, I can wait a few more years and make CFO in my late 30's. I know it's been done before. But I was just wondering how high the upside is and how hard these guys work. Thanks.

2 Comments
 

I know it's not the conventional path to the level of wealth that most here pine for, but is it still realistic is all I'm asking. I know of a family friend that made his way into a 1 billion dollar PE firm and worked his way up to VP of Finance from Controller in his very early 30s. Is he the odd success story? Or is it possible for anyone with the right work ethic and smarts?

 

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