What was banking like in the 80s, 90s, and early 2000s?

I was born in 97 so didn't experience all those but an MD at my bank said how in the early 2000s non PC words were not seen as a big deal on the floor so "retard", "faggot", "gay", "rape" were thrown around casually in conversation in the office. I still remember when retard was used in normal convo and now it has been blacklisted so I believe that. 

He also said how it was not unusual to go take clients out and spend thousands of $s entertaining them on the companies dime and time so expensive steaks and wines, ski trips and even bottle service at nightclubs were not uncommon to hear about and partake in. 

Read Liar’s Poker

My cousin were on Wall Street back then and loved it. Paid way better than a lot of industries. She did work crazy hours though from what I remember. 

Suggest reading Monkey Business - DLJ was vibing. 

It was a zoo and paid a lot of money but like all bubbles, was not sustainable.  People romanticize it but it's oil and gas; at one point in Calgary, admin assistants were making 6 figures.  That kind of rapid comp inflation will always revert to the mean as the underlying demand of the industry is based on transient factors and inevitably, the supply of people who want to work in the field and get that kind of pay with low barriers to entry (ie education, exceptional intellect) drives down comp as well through competition.

You need to read M&A titans, not as much of a look in to the crazyness but gives a good business strategy sense of the market.