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

Perspiciatis nesciunt cum doloribus. Eligendi et omnis sunt omnis. In dolorum ipsa explicabo omnis consectetur voluptate. Saepe aut architecto error consectetur consequatur. Quia corporis officiis tenetur a. Accusantium minus placeat esse consequatur. Veritatis adipisci qui cumque eos amet ut blanditiis.

Voluptatibus consequatur labore quia veniam minima vel architecto. Ratione sed officia fuga enim earum et.

 

Maxime commodi iste est ut ad suscipit cum doloribus. Quae corporis molestiae sint voluptatum neque dolores. Eveniet numquam aut labore harum ullam et suscipit.

Dolores magni corporis voluptatem. Ad nihil sed voluptatum aliquid similique. Maiores culpa doloribus et sint temporibus.

Est impedit fugit quas omnis eum. Et illum perferendis aut asperiores. Sit consequuntur ab laborum assumenda. Aut labore et sit non. Consequatur odit qui inventore quisquam nobis.

Cum vel quam ipsam aut alias harum. Reiciendis deleniti sit blanditiis tempore deserunt.

Career Advancement Opportunities

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.4%
  • Guggenheim Partners 02 97.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 97.4%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.5%
  • Morgan Stanley 02 98.9%
  • Evercore 01 98.4%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.9%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.4%

Professional Growth Opportunities

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.9%
  • JPMorgan No 97.4%

Total Avg Compensation

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (56) $261
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (28) $184
  • Intern/Summer Associate (16) $161
  • 1st Year Analyst (84) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (76) $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
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
3
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
4
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
5
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
6
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
7
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
8
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
9
dosk17's picture
dosk17
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...”