Trending Content - Investment Banking Forum
Career Resources
WSO Free Modeling Series - Now Open Through
July 31, 2026
9 Free Financial Modeling Lessons
Get instant access to lessons taught by experienced private equity pros and bulge bracket investment bankers including financial statement modeling, DCF, M&A, LBO, Comps and Excel Modeling.
+Bonus: Get 27 financial modeling templates in swipe file
+Bonus: Get 27 financial modeling templates in swipe file
High Finance Applications
Guaranteed
Get at least one offer GUARANTEED
- 1:1 support
- 92% success rate
- 2,000+ mentor network
- Unlimited Live bootcamps
- AI for resume + LinkedIn
- Networking automation tools
- HireVue simulation tool
- Full course library
- Private Slack community
- 20hrs of mocks
- + much more...
Had an MD who established three extremely close client relationships, all extremely acquisitive in the space and did several large cap raises. Would literally only work with those clients, rarely attempt to make new relationships, make solid money once or twice a year when one of the three did a deal and do nothing the rest of the year. Wouldn't really call it cruising because establishing the relationships obviously took time but was hilarious to see him do nothing for 2-3 months after one of the deals closed while other MD's were sweating trying to make something happen.
honestly elite strat
Had an MD in my group who was similar to this. He had been with the bank for 35+ years and had a couple of extremely close relationships with mega cap clients to the point that they would refuse to speak to anyone at the bank other than him.
For the entire time I was at the bank I never saw him do any actual work. He never pitched for anything or had a single meeting with a new client. Any meetings related to his clients had a more junior MD prepare the deck with the team and he wouldn't even review the materials prior to the meeting, he would just rock up and shoot shit with his buddies for an hour then go home at midday directly from the meeting.
Must be good. Too bad we ain’t getting there
Sounds like Trump’s banker. After he retired, he expired. Today, Trump is the only one who returns his calls, whereas his “close” clients ignore him
Sounds like he found a way to win in IBD? Every lifer in banking should strive to be like this guy.
Interned at an MM and one of the MD did absolutely fck all. He was an “execution MD” that often executed deals with another execution MD. Served 0 purpose
Had a senior associate in banking that did not have access to a deal folder that he was "working on" with me for weeks. I only discovered it when my VP asked him for something directly and he called me asking to have the product group give him permissions to access the folder.
what a llc (pass through entity) lmao
Literally me right now. I finally found a U.S. based job and am not doing shit even by Canadian standards rn lmao.
In banking or a corporate finance role?
PE, energy sector.
..
Intern the other day left work and got hit by a car and went 3 hours without checking his emails. Ridiculous.
Summer analysts who got their offers at BBs/EBs through racial/gender diversity realizing that you actually have to be competent and can’t coast through their job on the backs of their social identity so they pack up their shit and re-recruit for MBBs’ soft hiring practices.
A few 2020 analysts pulled some ridiculous shenanigans their 2nd year. They took a vacation to Miami, went to some wack crypto conferences, came back 3 weeks later, and literally didn’t open their laptop for 2 consecutive months. Completely off the grid. No clue how they got away with that in the hot market of 2021, but they did. Kudos to them but the other A & As got wrecked.
Also knew this VP who would go snowboarding in the middle of the week almost every week during January/february. Left his associates hanging out to dry. Again, kudos to that guy. He hung on for a whole ~6 months before the operations team realized he was useless and canned him.
Quite a few VPs that push their questions/work down to analysts/associates to figure out and simply relay it to the director/MD. I’ve known of 2 and suspect that it’s common. Obviously as a VP you can leverage juniors but there’s a fine balance….
Tempora aut sed accusamus ut sint veniam. Atque fugiat occaecati ex. Ex nulla ut molestiae temporibus eveniet. Alias est quia omnis voluptatem saepe.
See All Comments - 100% Free
WSO depends on everyone being able to pitch in when they know something. Unlock with your email and get bonus: 6 financial modeling lessons free ($199 value)
or Unlock with your social account...