Liontree SF or FT Partners - Which is Better?

I posted this a week ago but for some reason it got moved to the jobs forum, an inferior page compared to the flagship IB page.

I am a currently an AN1 in a MM bank in Chicago. I've always wanted to live in SF, mainly because of the nice weather but as a side benefit having IN-N-Out delivered to the office every night sounds like heaven on earth. After a months long recruiting process to lateral to the bay area, I ended up with two lateral offers at FT Partners and Liontree. I am really torn between the two in terms of pay, prestige, culture, and PE exits.

I know FTP has a higher base of 140k, but i am doubtful that bonuses will still be 100% of base (like that one account "Prospect in IB-M&A" that keeps shilling out "my buddy made $265k last year") and is more likely that they raised base, lowered bonus, and kept total comp the same if not a bit higher. There also isnt that much info on the Liontree sf office and if bonuses are the same in SF as they are in NY. 

Was wondering which do y'all think is a better firm to be at?

8 Comments
 
Most Helpful

Roommate worked at Liontree NYC. First of all, the two are completely different. LionTree is a TMT bank and FTP is a FinTech bank. If you don't have an interest in FinTech, LionTree will almost certainly be the better choice. LionTree is really sweaty, and from what I've heard FTP is also very sweaty. Comp is likely roughly the same at both firms at above street (maybe FTP is slightly higher), but shouldn't be considered as part of your decision. Exits from LionTree will almost certainly be stronger if you have no interest in FinTech (much wider breadth of exits), especially into traditional PE/growth.

 

Unless you’re dead set on making Fintech and Fintech exclusively your entire career, then the very very easy answer is Liontree

 

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