28 Comments
 

Thanks. Isn't the SSG the top group in GS? What's the turnover in the group? And if somebody does leave, why would he/she leave the group for a 2nd tier bank?

 
Best Response

PaulAllen - correct me if I'm wrong here (since you seem to know SSG quite well), but I believe Goldman's SSG group includes a pretty wide variety of fairly large sub-groups (e.g., GS's SLG group), so it's not really a "group" at the bank in any traditional sense.

I realize it's like comparing apples and oranges - but in terms of selectivity as it relates to being the "top" group, I would think GS TMT would be a more likely candidate.

 
smuguy97PaulAllen - correct me if I'm wrong here (since you seem to know SSG quite well), but I believe Goldman's SSG group includes a pretty wide variety of fairly large sub-groups (e.g., GS's SLG group), so it's not really a "group" at the bank in any traditional sense.

I realize it's like comparing apples and oranges - but in terms of selectivity as it relates to being the "top" group, I would think GS TMT would be a more likely candidate.

Which of the groups do you think more makes money for Goldman? A fees business or prop trading. If you think the former, you don't know how Goldman operates. Even though GS TMT is a wet dream for people on this board, if you have aspirations to start your own hedge fund - GSPS/SSG/GSCI are the way to go.

 
structure
smuguy97PaulAllen - correct me if I'm wrong here (since you seem to know SSG quite well), but I believe Goldman's SSG group includes a pretty wide variety of fairly large sub-groups (e.g., GS's SLG group), so it's not really a "group" at the bank in any traditional sense.

I realize it's like comparing apples and oranges - but in terms of selectivity as it relates to being the "top" group, I would think GS TMT would be a more likely candidate.

Which of the groups do you think more makes money for Goldman? A fees business or prop trading. If you think the former, you don't know how Goldman operates. Even though GS TMT is a wet dream for people on this board, if you have aspirations to start your own hedge fund - GSPS/SSG/GSCI are the way to go.

The point of my post was to address the fact that GS SSG is not exactly the wet dream opportunity that people on this board make it out to be. It's a great group, don't get me wrong, but it's also an enormous one with multiple offices across the country - some of the deals they do may well be exciting, but a significant portion of their transactions aren't that dissimilar from what you'd see in the fixed income trading units at other BBs. During 2007, my fund did two deals with them that were comprised of nothing more then their buying up some very senior tranches of secured debt that resided near the top of our deals' capital structures - not exactly the most exotic of investment strategies.

I was making the point that in terms of selectivity (i.e., spots per applicant), GS TMT is more selective.

 
sherminator

How does 1 even get into SSG? Do they take any summer analysts? I know they are under general GS securities and mixed in with mortgage finance... say someone gets accepted into the Mortgage/Distressed Investing Group, is there any chacne at all they could go into SSG?

Ken Moelis' son is an SA this summer in the SSG group, you prob gotta know people or be pretty damn good

 

SSG is separate from distressed debt investing, though of course it invests in distressed as well. distressed debt bank loan is part of distressed debt, but focuses more on illiquid assets

 

For more details on McGoldrick's departure, check out this WSJ Article entitled "Why $70 Million Wasn't Enough" (login required)

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB118740076313301636.html

The guy sounds insane. Excerpt:

In 2002, when Mr. Briger joined Fortress Investment Group LLC, an alternative-asset manager, Mr. McGoldrick began frequently working 21-hour days and traveling three weeks each month. He typically would land in Hong Kong at 11 p.m., and go home to work. It would be noon in New York, so he'd participate in three hours of conference calls to review the credit and asset value of U.S. partnerships under consideration. At 3 a.m. Hong Kong time, he'd go to bed until 6 a.m., when he'd rise to review the unit's Asian investments and markets.

By lunchtime, he would turn his attention to his 50-member staff in Europe. He then would be back on the phone with New York to review risks of the latest daily deal cycle.

To reduce his schedule, Mr. McGoldrick switched time zones by moving with his family to London a few years ago...

Bad fucking ass.

 
AltESVFor more details on McGoldrick's departure, check out this WSJ Article entitled "Why $70 Million Wasn't Enough" (login required)

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB118740076313301636.html

The guy sounds insane. Excerpt:

In 2002, when Mr. Briger joined Fortress Investment Group LLC, an alternative-asset manager, Mr. McGoldrick began frequently working 21-hour days and traveling three weeks each month. He typically would land in Hong Kong at 11 p.m., and go home to work. It would be noon in New York, so he'd participate in three hours of conference calls to review the credit and asset value of U.S. partnerships under consideration. At 3 a.m. Hong Kong time, he'd go to bed until 6 a.m., when he'd rise to review the unit's Asian investments and markets.

By lunchtime, he would turn his attention to his 50-member staff in Europe. He then would be back on the phone with New York to review risks of the latest daily deal cycle.

To reduce his schedule, Mr. McGoldrick switched time zones by moving with his family to London a few years ago...

Bad fucking ass.

I don't know why, but a part of me feels sorry for the guy.

 

I think it also has to do with the fact you get to have a business card that says you work in the "Special Situations Group". That just SOUNDS badass, like, when the world is coming to an end, lets call in the real gangsters.

 
Closer121I think it also has to do with the fact you get to have a business card that says you work in the "Special Situations Group". That just SOUNDS badass, like, when the world is coming to an end, lets call in the real gangsters.

To some extent having "Special Situations" in your job title on your business card just seems like you delude others into thinking your job is more badass than typical finance.

 
AltESVI feel more sorry for his family...

I'm amazed he still has a family, but moving to London at least shows some effort.

 

Do GSPS and PIA draw heavily from IBD the way SSG does?

If having a valuation background is important, would starting out in equity research be more helpful than S&T?

Do people in S&T even have any exit options to anything?

Thanks.

 

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