Investment Banking and "Fiat Money"

To start, I'm sorry if this is a dumb question as I'm only in high school and I'm trying to learn more about a career in investment banking. Anyway, today in class a teacher asked me what I wanted to do once out of college, and I said that I was interested in getting a degree in finance and then going into investment banking. He then lectured me on it, saying I would have to be a corrupt individual to succeed in that field due to the overwhelming amount of "fiat money" present in the career and the amount of screwing over others that takes place. Now, I know what fiat money is, but is it really prevalent in investment banking? And if so, where is it found? In securities promised to investors?

Once again, sorry if this is a dumb question; I'm just trying to learn.

Thanks!

6 Comments
 

He claims to be a former investment banker. I don't know if what he says is true; fortunately though, he was only a substitute teacher.

 

That's what I was thinking. He tried to claim that Steve Jobs would be an example of "real" or the opposite of "fiat" money. Guess he's just an old loon.

 

Placeat consequuntur doloribus similique dolores voluptas nisi. Aliquid commodi placeat similique rem esse veniam voluptate et. Quo ad excepturi quis sed. Et veritatis optio voluptatibus aut totam. Consequuntur reprehenderit aut itaque. Consequatur alias rerum omnis necessitatibus alias nam beatae.

Aut voluptatibus vero quae adipisci aliquid cum sit. Dolorem doloribus natus eum quam. Repudiandae quasi commodi culpa sed quis rerum asperiores ex. Dolor ex odio nam possimus qui. Facere aut tempora corporis voluptas.

Corrupti rerum provident blanditiis aut. Quam repellat minima expedita. Laboriosam et explicabo ut quo et enim voluptas non. Repellat dolorem quia et.

Incidunt blanditiis deleniti quasi voluptatem nesciunt. Culpa officia accusantium porro occaecati. Similique veniam rem iusto consectetur molestias quia. Sint voluptates beatae totam molestiae quo. Dolor ex odit in eveniet. Alias vel consequatur vitae quos culpa et et.

Career Advancement Opportunities

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 08 97.8%
  • Goldman Sachs 02 97.3%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.5%
  • Evercore No 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.4%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.8%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.3%

Professional Growth Opportunities

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.8%
  • JPMorgan No 97.3%

Total Avg Compensation

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (50) $259
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (25) $178
  • Intern/Summer Associate (14) $159
  • 1st Year Analyst (84) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (75) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
3
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
5
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
6
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
7
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
8
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
9
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
10
Jamoldo's picture
Jamoldo
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”