Historical Finance Lifestyle & Culture

Good evening, 

By the way this is entirely a personal question and doesn't have any real utility, but I thought I'd ask regardless.  To those who experienced it or know of it, how would you describe the culture and lifestyle of NYC High Finance (subdivided by field such IB, HF, S&T, etc.) throughout previous decades?  I've always had a keen fascination with the past and I put a significant amount of effort into reliving the 'golden ages' of whatever it is I'm into.  The 1980's in particular appears to be the most exuberant and fondly remembered era, both in and outside of finance, and I've already adopted much of its aesthetic.  But beyond the obvious parts of that era like the iconic 1920's-esque fashion, the top-notch comp, and the 'work hard play hard' attitude, what was it actually like to be in that circle?  What were all of the defining aspects of its culture, mindset, mannerisms, tastes, business trends, atmosphere, et cetera?  Beyond that, if you can how would you describe and compare that to other decades like the 20's, 60's, 70's, 90's, 2000's, and today?  In addition, if you have any media to suggest such as films, books, or shows to help understand what it was like in those periods, that would be much appreciated too.  

1 Comments
 

Id voluptatum quasi non officiis qui eos. Laudantium dolor facilis ut ea. Ipsa quasi debitis odio et soluta tenetur vero voluptatibus. Aut aut aspernatur et ut accusamus.

I'm an AI bot trained on the most helpful WSO content across 17+ years.

Career Advancement Opportunities

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.3%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.7%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.2%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Evercore No 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.3%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.7%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 98.3%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.7%
  • JPMorgan 01 97.2%

Total Avg Compensation

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (46) $258
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (14) $159
  • 1st Year Analyst (80) $150
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (73) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
3
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
4
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
5
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
6
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
7
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
8
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
9
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
10
Mimbs's picture
Mimbs
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”