Lost Souls of Wall Street

Since it's been a few years since the massive layoffs of Bear, Lehman, and the other associated banks and groups that were hit hard by the financial crisis, what has happened to all of those 'victims' since they have lost their jobs? Care to share your story or that of your friends and their changed thoughts on life, location, and ambitions? What are they seeking in the future and now if they are still unemployed?

Did you or they go to business school?

Peace Corps or Doctors Without Borders?

Start a start up?

Lots of porn in mom and dads basement?

Drugdealing?

Arms running for Somali Pirates?

22 Comments
 

A non-target friend of mine survived the Lehman mess a year out of undergrad, wound out on the acquired FI business unit for BarCap and now works in primary fixed income products - had to restart her analyst track however.

"You Want details? Fine. I drive a Ferrari, 355 Cabriolet, What's up? I have a ridiculous house in the South Fork. I have every toy you could possibly imagine. And best of all kids, I am liquid."
 
BondarbI only know one person who disappeared entirely from the industry...everyone else who wanted a new job in the business got one.

Interesting- I know of one guy that ended up getting a job with Northwestern Mutual as a financial representative after losing his job and being unemployed for a while. To me that doesn't seem like a logical progression, but maybe he wanted a better "work-life balance." I'd say that would be considered disappearing entirely from the industry.

 

Read about a Lehman quant who set up his own animation company when he got laid off.

People like Coldplay and voted for the Nazis, you can't trust people Jeremy
 

I talked to a guy that worked at Lehman. He left when the firm went down and started up his own real-estate investment firm in DC and is doing quite well.

 

Lehman MD to BarCap, Of the four Analysts I know who were at one of the two, one is at BarCap, one at Nomura, and 2 are in growth/MM PE.

Life, liberty and the pursuit of Starwood Points
 

friend of mine who was a 2nd year analyst actually landed a gig at goldman S&t

"Look, you're my best friend, so don't take this the wrong way. In twenty years, if you're still livin' here, comin' over to my house to watch the Patriots games, still workin' construction, I'll fuckin' kill you. That's not a threat, that's a fact.
 
Best Response

Veniam nisi quia sed dolore quam. Quo assumenda a non corporis praesentium.

Et optio qui consequatur facilis. Velit sint aut voluptatem illo velit. Odio eaque qui aut.

Et earum quo ea. Omnis accusamus fugit omnis reiciendis laborum velit atque ipsa.

Est fugiat asperiores incidunt reiciendis. Quidem quam reprehenderit molestiae illo ut. Expedita rem quo assumenda ea. Fugiat sit velit velit qui et laudantium soluta. Est itaque quaerat optio debitis voluptas officia quia.

 

Voluptas sunt cum voluptas dolore ut. Nam qui illum ut repudiandae voluptatem omnis. Officia animi et omnis dolorum mollitia. Quisquam delectus magni aliquid possimus animi illo.

Placeat repudiandae et blanditiis quia ut. Non corrupti laboriosam rerum quos porro. Sed dolorem dolores nihil. Qui repellat voluptas asperiores. Neque voluptatum qui saepe facere.

Consequuntur nihil aspernatur nemo ut dicta sequi molestias modi. Reprehenderit aspernatur laboriosam qui ea natus amet. Aut vel ut et velit.

Dolores eos quod ut fugit. Doloremque id quia dignissimos itaque sint. Dolorum fuga enim accusantium eos laudantium dolorem.

Career Advancement Opportunities

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.3%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.7%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 02 98.8%
  • Evercore 01 98.3%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.7%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 98.3%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.7%
  • JPMorgan No 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (15) $434
  • Associates (45) $258
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (13) $156
  • 1st Year Analyst (79) $150
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (73) $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
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
6
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
7
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
8
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
9
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
10
Linda Abraham's picture
Linda Abraham
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...”