Is there a line you would never cross for money?

I was talking with an MD at a BB I am strongly interested in lateralling to. He's not necessarily in the group I am interested in, but he was an alum from my school. I am not going to get very in depth so as to protect his privacy. 

Anyway, at some point, we started talking about The Big Short, and he told me (An2) to never compromise my morals. He was telling me how when he was in his final year of being an associate, he was staffed with a deal/project relating to a company in an industry he strongly was against morally (think tobacco/for profit prisions/etc...). He said he asked his staffer if he could be removed from the deal, and that she (the staffer) respected his request and moved him. He said he wouldn't have been able to look his wife (then gf) in the eye if he contributed to such a company.

This really got me thinking, I do know a lot of people who would do anything for their next bonus, and I never thought about what I'd do if I was in such a situation. I mean if I was placed in a deal I didn't agree with morally, I don’t think I would have the courage to ask to be reassigned.

So I was just wondering, have any of you worked on deals you felt bad about? If not, what would you have done in this situation?

I don't mean to shit on any of you who wouldn't have any moral objections, that's totally your choice, but for those of you who would, what would you do?

1 Comments
 

Sit in consequatur qui cupiditate nihil est illo quis. Iste totam non corrupti et. Et necessitatibus doloribus libero nam. Voluptatem asperiores quia est ratione rem.

Career Advancement Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.8%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.2%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.7%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.8%
  • Evercore 01 98.2%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.6%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Evercore No 98.8%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.2%
  • JPMorgan No 97.7%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (14) $434
  • Associates (43) $259
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (13) $156
  • 1st Year Analyst (75) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (68) $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

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...”