Emerging markets are paradise

Welcome to the carnival of high finance in Rio de Janeiro, where the sun always shines, the sea sparkles, and the women could make even the most experienced traders blush. You walk into your office wearing flip-flops and board shorts, and your colleagues are more interested in discussing beach volleyball strategies than market trends.

At BTG Pactual, your job interview is less about your resume and more about your samba skills. Impress the hiring manager with a quick shimmy, and you're in! You're given a trading terminal with a built-in sunscreen dispenser, and meetings are held on Copacabana Beach, with important business decisions determined by the height of the waves.

In Rio, a buyside job is like a freshly plucked coconut – it just falls into your lap. After securing a position, you find that the office hours are as short as your swim trunks. You work an average of three hours a day, leaving you plenty of time to perfect your tan and enjoy caipirinhas. Your friends in New York and London are chained to their desks, while you're lounging in a hammock, casually trading stocks between sips of fresh coconut water.

As your career blossoms, you become the "Carioca Wolf of Wall Street," sealing deals on the Copacabana promenade, with samba dancers as your witnesses. Your financial acumen is matched only by your ability to dance the night away at the Lapa neighborhood's legendary samba clubs. You're living the Bossa Nova dream, and your Instagram feed is a constant stream of beach selfies and business deals sealed with suntan lotion.

But, alas, nothing is perfect. As the sun sets on your dream, the caipirinha-induced haze begins to clear. You realize that while you've been perfecting your samba moves, your friends in New York and London have been perfecting their bank balances. Their bonuses could buy the entire Copacabana Beach, and suddenly, your short workdays don't seem as glamorous.

Even the beautiful women of Rio, who once adored your finance stories, have become more interested in your friends' bank statements. The irony strikes like a sudden summer storm – while you've been enjoying the sun and samba, they've been reaping financial rewards that could buy the entire samba club