Michael Lewis - $225k Bonus in '87?

http://www.businessinsider.com/michael-lewis-on-getting-a-wall-st-job-2…

This is an old article, and I apologize if it has already been discussed.

I think Michael Lewis' 2 points are very good but one piece of the article does not make sense to me and I'm wondering if I'm missing something.

He says "What did they pay me? $225 grand bonus... It was '87, so like $500,000 per year" and then he goes on to talk about it like it is lower than pay today.

Lewis started at Solomon Brothers in the summer of 1985 fresh out of LSE, so I assume that in '87 he would have essentially been finishing the equivalent of his 2nd year as an analyst.

First off, I can't believe kids 2 years out of school were getting $225k bonuses in '87. And second, I don't know anyone now that is 2 years out of school now that is making anywhere close to $500k.

Is there something I'm missing? Also interested to hear your thoughts on Lewis' 2 main points.

3 Comments
 

Don't know much about the bonus at the time but making 500k 2 years out of school is extremely viable. Friend of mine worked at Accenture MC for a year after college, started a business with govt funding and now makes well over that 3 years into making his own company

 

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