Signing bonus at elite boutiques

I've heard of some firms doing monstrous signing bonuses. I know 10k is typical for the BB at which I've received an offer, but how much do people at the EB's receive?

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I realize that not worrying about the signing bonus might be fine for most, but I need to consider it as I'm not from an upper middle class / affluent background. I already have three offers from EB's and one of them could wipe out more than half of my $100,000+ student loan debt, while the other barely impacts the principal balance.

 

I appreciate that and you have the same background as me but making the call based on the signing bonus is very shortsighted. In the grand scheme of your career earnings it's irrelevant so I would just choose where you think you'll be the most successful instead of basing your decision off of one firm paying you US$10,000 extra dollars up front.

 

Can give hard data that Centerview was $50k a couple years back (2014 analyst class). It came with a clawback: if you left without completing the three-year analyst stint, you paid it back.

Evercore was $25k at that same time. PWP was in the same range (for some reason $35k is stuck in my mind, but don't consider that a hard data point).

Keep in mind that you're taxed slightly differently on this than on regular W2 income. Expect to lose ~40%.

I am permanently behind on PMs, it's not personal.
 
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