Why does Apollo PE have such good HF exits?
Question is in the title. Very interested in the approach Apollo takes to PE investing so it has been a goal of mine to work there for some years now (despite how bad culture is), but my long term dream has always been to do L/S equity at a top SM or at a really good MM seat.
That being said, I am curious as to why Apollo has some of the best HF exits out of all the MF's. It seems like their focus on credit, complex deals, and generally more distressed scenarios does not translate to equity L/S investing. I have also seen some people on this forum say to not go to Apollo if my dream is to do L/S equity, as it does not prepare you at all for it and does not have any transferrable skills, yet apollo associates continue to go to top HFs.
So, why is it that Apollo has the best HF exits?
Thanks everyone and Merry Christmas!
Bump
Would imagine culture being so shit is one reason. Also a lot of them go to TGM (in the same building) and Elliott (across the street). Might change after Elliott move to 280 Park
It’s because they’re smart, hard-working, often times don’t want to put up with the hell-hole that Apollo is, and like many others, they’re simply interested in public markets. It’s NOT because they have Apollo on the resume and HFs specifically want to hire out of Apollo. Don’t get it twisted. Apollo tends to attract nerdy associates whose personalities mesh well with public markets and less with PE. Again, it’s not like Apollo on resume = interviews at any and every HF
I worked there
ty for the insight!
if you don't mind me asking, what are some of the main factors that you think helped you during your time there?
a mentor of mine went from there to sm hf, and he credits his success with lifestyle adjustments (such as using organic zero sugar energy drinks (not a coffee person), training his body to split adjustable sleep cycles throughout the day, eating lots of sushi and organic foods, and small exercises) to knowledge investments (such as different modeling courses, books on investing that he read from security analysis to moyer's, and thinking often about what he wants in his career post-APO as upward mobility was near-impossible).
ik the above mentioned does come across a bit vague, but would appreciate any and all advice for successfully navigating an APO type environment, thanks again and merry christmas (and happy hanukkah)!
Look, I’ll be 100% honest. There were ZERO benefits from Apollo. Maybe the only benefit was the building/view and dinner stipend? I did APO —> SM HF —> joining MM HF in 2025
Yeah there were zero benefits. I learned nothing incremental to banking. And it was extremely, extremely difficult to successfully do SM HF case studies while working there. Extremely difficult. If I could it all over again, I would’ve skipped on cycle and recruited for HFs from banking (you easily can). It’s a total waste of 2-4 years
Tf was the point of saying happy hanukkah? We say merry christmas.
Thank you for this. Do you mind if I PM you? Interested in learning more about your journey
Sent
I appreciate your insights! Do you mind if I PM you as well? I am curious about your opinions on joining Citadel Associate Program or Point72 Academy (with or without EB/BB SA). Thanks!
There is literally no reason to not do those programs if you want L/S
I think banking analysts in general massively overestimate brand prestige when it comes to hedge fund recruiting, and massively underestimate just “doing the work”. PE recruiting being so early, where the only way candidates differentiate is by firm name, has convinced analysts that it’s a requirement to work at a tier 1 firm to get a job in public markets.
Sure, it’s going to be nearly impossible to pivot from a non-finance/consulting career to hedge funds, but if you work at any investment bank or PE fund of any consequential size (top 50 firms?) you will get interviews, and then it’s on you to convert.
Couldn't agree more.
Edit
I am an analyst 1 in IB and want to pursue public markets (currently at a good BB). Would doing PE first improve my chances at an HF/ where I can land? Or if I am passionate about public’s, should I just shoot for HF straight from IB?
No need for PE, go straight to public markets. I did it and many others ahead of you have also done it
PE is not gonna help outside of specific funds
what funds are you referring to?
There is the obvious prestige factor but you need to reduce all hiring outcomes to their simplest form:
Why do IB analysts exit well (particularly to PE / HF)?
Not only do they have the skill set, they have demonstrated that they can be beaten to a pulp and work very fucking hard. That’s all PE firms want.
Apollo is this to the extreme. If I own a HF and I see someone who not only got accepted to Apollo, but they succeeded there and now are applying to my firm, I know I can work them to the fucking bone and they can take it, in addition to them having the requisite knowledge.
As someone at a top SM…I would auto reject someone who’s primary skillset was “ability to work long hours”.
There is no correlation between hours worked and alpha. If anything as model complexity grows, alpha declines. Starring at the chart doesn’t make the price go up.
Intellectual curiosity, idea velocity, network, and temperament — these are what make for a strong analyst. The 26 year old who grinded 100 hour work weeks is likely to have few of them.
Well I didn’t mean to reduce them down to only that, I said with requisite knowledge but also strong (and demonstrated) work ethic.
Agreed blindly working hard =/= alpha. It’s what I hate about IB, time in and effort are all that is rewarded.
I think people really are incapable of separating pedigree and the actual merit of such programs itself.
Bar for those highly coveted PE programs are almost unnecessarily high when the job is just crunching numbers whether spreading comps or making PowerPoints decks (without having a view), and working long hours. It maybe gets you the “reps” in but has very little to do with “making you a better investor”.
For public investing, a solid ER job would be much better than any IB/PE, as it gives you direct exposure of how the market thinks, how things works in given coverages, etc.
Those who ended up going to top HFs from PE programs would’ve gotten such seats regardless because they’re smart and driven, not because those PE jobs made them a better investor.
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