T2 Hedge fund or T1 LO/AM?

Hi,

I just received two offers and I would like to get the forum view on pros/cons.

I have 1/2 years of work experience at a hedge fund and looking to move for some reasons.

What would you choose between going to Capital/Wellington/TRowe as a research associate or going to a Tier 2 HF (LSD AuM with no particularly strong profiles)? 

The pay and promotion potential looks way better at HF but the stability looks way better at LO.

I was about to accept the LO offer but the HH than brought me the HF offer made me doubt...

13 Comments
 

You could potentially jump from the LO to a t1 fund later on if you don’t enjoy the LO work.

 
Most Helpful

For the love of god please choose the LO. A career done right at one of the t1 LOs would net you many, many, many multiples of what you’d make at the HF. If it’s not a top pod or $10bn+ SM, LO is the right choice from basically every perspective I can think of

LO upside is dependent on you becoming a partner and it’s back weighted - 30 year career and making high 7 figures / low 8 figures for 10 of those - what’s that worth?

The small HF upside won’t come to fruition. Don’t bother. The upside at a top pod / $10bn SM is greater than LO, but it’s shorter in duration and comes with a lot more added risk (but for top pod/SM more comp on the upside + optionality of raising your own fund and spinning out one day or getting a huge guarantee / running multi $bn book with big payout at another pod).

The t1 LO career seat is very hard to beat. I’d go as far as saying it’s probably the best way to build generational wealth on the buyside (across anything in public vs private markets, across any asset class), assuming you can get on partner track which is not an easy feat.

 

Depends on the specific LO tbh - e.g. CAP doesn't promote RAs and exits are quite mediocre (there are some other threads on this). From what I see Wellington has the best internal upwards mobility and Fidelity/D&C have the best HF exits but would probably go with the HF if it's a 3 year and out at CAP/TROW.

 

You'd have a pretty good shot at becoming an analyst from that one I think

 
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