2025 Year-End Net Worth Check-In
Drop your stats in the format below. Let's see how we compare to others at the same level.
Age: 31
Years of Work: 9.5 (graduated 2016)
Current Role: VP at MM buyout firm in NYC
Total 2025 Cash Comp: $675K
Total Net Worth: ~$1.8 million (~$0.7 million is ownership in my fund - combo of vested but unrealized carry and unrealized coinvestment value; rest is mix of equities, 401k, a few private investments, cash)
Married/Single: Married
Based on the most helpful WSO content, here's a breakdown of your stats and how they might compare to others in similar roles:
Age & Experience: At 31 with 9.5 years of work experience, you're in a strong position, especially as a VP at a middle-market (MM) buyout firm in NYC. This aligns with the typical career trajectory for high achievers in private equity.
Compensation: A total cash comp of $675K is impressive and competitive for a VP in private equity, particularly in NYC. This figure is consistent with top-tier MM firms, where VP comp often ranges from $500K to $800K, depending on the firm and performance.
Net Worth: A net worth of ~$1.8 million at 31 is solid, especially with $0.7 million tied to fund ownership (vested carry and coinvestments). This indicates you're leveraging your role effectively to build wealth. The mix of equities, 401k, private investments, and cash shows a diversified approach, which is ideal for long-term growth.
Marital Status: Being married can influence financial planning, especially regarding joint investments, tax strategies, and long-term goals like homeownership or family planning.
How You Compare:
Suggestions for Growth:
You're on a great trajectory—keep leveraging your role and compounding your investments!
Sources: 2021 S&T Bonus, How much have you saved?, I want to make 5-10M per year, Growth PE Comp Progression
delete
Age: 29
YoE: 4.5 (European, target schools)
Role: Corp Dev Manager
Cash Comp: 350k USD
Net Worth: 650k USD all liquid
$350k for corp dev 4.5 YoE? is this for big tech in the US?
No & no, but very unique spot
How have you gotten to 650k NW with 4.5 years of experience?
Retarded stock picking and living like a rat.
Please also specify if you did an MBA. Feel like that plays a big role in your net worth for late 20s and early 30s
Age: 28
Years of Work: 5.5
Current Role: Senior Asso. MM PE
Total 2025 Cash Comp: $365K
NW: ~$1.0 mil in brokerage/retirement/cash
Can you please share your annual comp trajectory and how you reached that in such little time? I don’t see how it is possible….
Yeah it's probably not fair to compare to most, the major caveat is that I'm not in NYC so rent's never been higher than $1,700/month and general COL is lower, but it was something like this:
An1 - 185k all-in
An2- 180k
PE As 0 - (5 month stub) got like 40k bonus
PE AS 1 - 280k
PE AS2 - 310k
Senior As - $365k
Plowed pretty aggressively into the market throughout and so there's been some significant appreciation that's started to snowball over the last 1.5 years, no crazy stock picks or anything.
I had to completely re calibrate my 'wealth expectations' settings for myself and others too. S&P500 has returned >80% in the last three years. Anyone 25-30 who has been investing since day 1 has come out of the gate and near doubled their portfolio just holding the index
Age: 25 about to be 26
YoE: 3.5 (school: east coast non-target)
Role: PE associate (did 2 years of banking) in NYC
Cash Comp: 275k last year, 295k this year
Net Worth: ~450k mostly in stocks and some cash
25 year old first year in PE and now make roughly market of $300k, but NW is closer to 100-150k, don’t know how you have saved so much (though imagine the discrepancy is much high banker pay vs MBB)
It's a good question and I actually track my finances pretty closely (use google sheets and a spending tracker, don't pay for anything like copilot etc.).
I started contributing to my Roth IRA in early 2019 and graduated college in spring 2022. Ending balance at graduation was ~$25k. My parents contributed the $18k in principal up to that point (and they may have given me another $6k in 2023, but I don't remember - that's the only "parental cash equity" I received).
I had a full ride to my state school which allowed me to graduate with no debt. I also worked some part time jobs throughout college, did my IB summer analyst program etc. so maybe when I graduated my net worth was around $40k? Even that might be generous.
401k contributions over the last 3.5 working years: $20.5k in 2022, 22.5k in 2023, 23k in 2024, and now 23.5k in 2025 adds up to $89.5k of principal, plus $33k return on top of that so $122k total value
comp over the last few years has been ~$160k, ~$200k, ~$275k, expecting ~$300k for this coming calendar year so similar to you. From that, I've saved ~$20k into Roth IRA (now at ~$85k total value) and $160k into brokerage ($195k total value - most of that money was invested in this calendar year, after liberation day slowly, no crazy stock picks / options plays either) plus $10k as co-investment in my fund. So call that ~$190k of principal investment over my working years so far excluding the 401k (which I don't think you should really count since that money is untouchable for a while). And then I'm sitting on about ~$30k of net cash although that should be adjusted down a bit as I'm expecting a sizeable tax liability come April.
Net net including everything, that's ~$310k principal invested across everything, which has returned $105k, plus ~$30k of net cash so call it $425-450k total net worth.
Obviously some folks have more (look at the 26 year old below with worth $850k) but I'm happy with how I've saved and invested so far. Have definitely felt that saving (spending less) is a challenge living in NYC but have been working on that and tracking the spend with an app like Mint etc. certainly helps you stay aware.
Age: 23
YoE: 0.5
Role: IB Analyst in NYC
Cash Comp: 110k with mid bucket bonus (not explicitly told this but I fell asleep before comments came last night) so let's say 150k
Net Worth: 50k in stocks and Roth and Canada Goose Vest, 52k if I sell my NBA trading cards
I’m nowhere near anyone here as I paid off loans, traveled a lot, did not invest like you guys, etc.
Age: 31
YoE: 9 years
Role: PE Sr Associate (did a lot of banking)
Cash comp: $400K
Net worth: $600K; $200K liquid; $400K other /stock options
Married
Age: 30
YoE: 7
Role: PE Sr. Aso
Cash comp: $400K
Net worth: $1.2M (Without going into details, saved aggressively + got lucky and was paid out on carry / co-invest. Stuck around for the payout, but no upward mobility at my fund, so need to figure out next steps.)
Single
Thoughts on:
A) retiring
B) taking some cushy corp fin $150-200k job for 4-5 years, letting your savings compound, and then retire?
Unless you live in Laos and never plan to get married or have kids, you’re not retiring on a $1.2m nest egg.
Per the poster below, I don't think A is a realistic option. Maybe if this was the 80's, but quantitative easing / unbridled government spending is a hell of a drug. $1M today isn't what it used to be.
For option B, I have thought about it, but I don't know if I'm ready to "give up" yet. I'd like to try another investing seat that's more in line with my interests if I can swing it. If that doesn't work out, then I'd perhaps consider doing something entrepreneurial and / or just applying to business school. The way I see it, corporate finance gigs aren't going anywhere (but perhaps I'm delusional and / or there will be some sort of bottleneck around seniority at some point.. e.g. too expensive / senior to hire, but too inexperienced in the specific role to make sense)
X
Age 26:
Years of Work: 4.5
Current Role: Large Cap PE Sr. Associate
Total 2025 Cash Comp: ~450K
Total NW: ~850K
Married / Single: Single
Age: 27
YOE: 3
Role: ib aso
Cash comp: $300k
Net worth: $400k. Recently promoted to associate and hopeful this starts to snowball. 100% equities and basically zero cash
Single
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Age: 26
Years of Work: 4.5
Current Role: Sr. As, Large Cap
Total 2025 Cash Comp: $450k
Total Net Worth: $1.5m
Married
How is 1.5mm possible just given comp? Unless you are counting DAW
Decently good options trader. Big trades during COVID and now can only trade options on the indices because no longer allowed to trade single stock.
Age: 25
YoE: 3.5; 2 years IB and 1.5 years PE
Current Role: Associate at UMM PE in non NYC
Comp: 330k last year; expecting closer to 400 (do not want to give away exact firm)
NW: ~$750k (crypto gains, no student loans, and currently in a non-NYC city)
Age 27:
YOE: 3.5
Current role: Associate, PE co-invest
Total 2025 cash comp: $225k
Total net worth: $300k
single
Thought I was doing okay now feel behind based on this thread. Should get my bonus in 3 months which should get me closer to ~$350k after taxes. $170k or so of my $300k is in traditional IRA which I will owe taxes on.
You are doing great relative to vast majority your age. Threads like these have huge confirmation bias as those that aren't saving very well or are closer to the average probably aren't sharing. Those sharing are either super frugal, got lucky in investments, or had more support from parents (whether that be help financially or no student loans).
Very much agree with above. The idea of this thread is super helpful, but ultimately it suffers from massive self-selection bias. Except for couple brave souls, most of the posts will be (well) above-average outcomes. So it's not representative of the "average" PE/IB outcome. And it's in a different stratosphere from typical middle-america . Also per below don't discount the importance of parental support, which some will not divulge completely (i respect it). Especially matters first ~5 years out of college to help build up an early savings cushion, which then compounds.
yeah fully agree. the target should be $1mm by your early 30s - seems to be consensus and reasonable, especially if you worked in finance since you were 22/23.
Same here. I have a lower NW than you (excluding carry) and am shocked by some of these numbers from people our age.
Hey can I PM you? Curious to chat about comp trajectory, also sit in a similar co-invest seat
yes
You're making more than my dad did at 40 lol
I'm same boat as u brother
27, 3 YOE, LMM PE Aso, Cash Comp ~$250k, NW ~$300k
Age: just turned 32 YO
YoE: 9 years
Current role: VP > Director in IB
Comp: $675 - $700k
Total NW: ~$1.5mm (probably $500k in retirement and unvested stock and rest liquid in ETFs)
Single
Wasn’t exactly frugal but have made up some good ground last few years with VP bonuses / market ripping
Ok I'll bite on this. Mostly because I'm proud of what I've accomplished, but also to bring some positivity to PE to offset the negative posts about how the industry is screwed.
Age: mid 30s
Current Role: Principal
Status: Married but no kids
NW: $7.9mm (excluding partner's NW)
Breakdown: $5.1mm liquid + $1.3mm co-invested + $1.6mm vested carry at current NAV
How I got here: Methodically. No student loans, no b-school, working at high paying firm, investing in the stock market, a few 6-figure carry checks
What is your salary at this level? Curious to see how you got to $5.1 liquid...
Annual cash comp is >$1mm. I’ve realized $2.5mm (estimating) in carry but mostly ordinary income thanks to Trump. I’m not frugal, but whatever I save goes into the s&p where I have a lot of gains
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Age: 26
Role: MF PE Senior Associate
YoE: 4.5
Net Worth: $1.0mm USD on the dot (all liquid, no carry yet).
Thought I was ahead here as I have saved quite aggressively (70%+ of net) and worked through college / have been maxing out my Roth since High School.
Hoping I can make it to some of the numbers quoted here by late 20s.
Bro
Age: 33
Years of Work: 4 in IB, 2 in PE, rest in opportunistic credit (graduated 2014)
Current Role: SVP at MM credit shop in NYC
Total 2025 Cash Comp: $650K
Total Net worth: ~$12 million (majority is my trust fund)
Married/Single: Married, 2 kids
Lollllll how much is the trust fund you lucky dawg
like 8m, my folks have a few other trusts/properties that will come to my sister and I in time, prob an additional 10-15 is there NW, father was a math teacher, mother worked in high finance 45 years, got me my first job... i have no shame in that.
This might be the most informative NW datapoint in here. Not bc of you, but bc of your trust fund.
So 8m to you and presumable 8m to your sister, that’s 16? Your parents have another 12-15 coming your/your sister’s way, so that’s ~25-30m total.
Your mom started in a different generation of finance. So this would suggest an identical route today would result in something meaningfully less than 25m in generationally portable wealth. Probably 10-15. Across 2 kids that’s the difference between passing along 12m each vs 5m each. $5m is a nice safety net and makes first house, wedding, future kids college savings a non-issue. $12m is quite a bit different.
If you don’t mind sharing, what kind of finance did your mom do? And how big of a hitter did she eventually become?
She was at bulge bracket IB for her entire career. was prob top 10 at her spot when she left
Age: 30
2+2+2 to HF
Cash comp: $550k
Net worth: $750k
Prob would have more than double without the MBA which stings at times
Age: 32
Years of Work: 10, no MBA
Current Role: VP at LMM buyout firm in tier 2-3 city
Total 2025 Cash Comp: $400k, plus small carry payout ($50k)
Total Net Worth: ~$1.0 million excluding vested carry
Married/Single: Single
Paid off ~$80k of student debt coming out of undergrad.
LMM PE comp isn't great, but not living in NYC somewhat makes up for it.
Can I ask what VP1 comp is at your fund
$300k cash and $1m DAW. Now at $400k cash and $3m DAW with a new fundraise (but not much of it vested).
Age: 27
Years of Work: ~5 (2021 graduate from Ivy)
Current Role: Senior ASO at VC in NYC
Total 2025 Cash Comp: ~$200K
Total Net Worth: ~$160K across brokerages, liquid assets and 401K/IRA. I have an additional ~$400K in carry
Married/Single: Married
Wow appreciate the folks in here cheering up other people and explaining its all selection bias, etc. My current role is strong but wow I feel behind
Age: 26
Years of work: ~3
Current Role: Strategic Finance at a Startup (ex 2 years IB)
Total 2025 Cash Comp: $295k
Total Net worth : $190k
I know it's not the point of the thread, but how did you find this Strategic finance role? Looking for something similar myself -- feel free to pm me if you feel more comfortable sharing there.
Linkedin! Just came across a posting.
I'm more impressed by your offer of $295k cash comp for a startup with 3 YoE than a lot of the NWs here
Appreciate it! Think I got insanely lucky, and like I said in other comments most other offers I was gettin gat were coming in at like $150-$220k range.
How did you find such a role? I have not come across anything even close to that comp number in the corp dev/strategic finance universe
Linkedin, think I just got super lucky honestly. Most other spots when I was recruiting was all in like $150-$220k range. I got insanely lucky.
I‘m a behind as an Europoor:
- Age: 28
- YoE: 3
- Role: Assoc 1, now turning Assoc 2 in 2026 at Mm fund
- Comp: 2025 Comp was $235k equivalent (175k gbp)
- NW: $275k liquid. I have $0.5m DAW at work but counting as 0 until vested fully / starting to pay
My goal is to hit VP when I‘m 29/30 and then bounce to a better paying fund so I can save aggressively in my 30s.
Stay strong fellow Europoor. I was you one year ago and have similar objectives.
thanks man! LDN based?
Oh god why did I click this thread
Age: 23
YoE: 2.5
Current Role: IB at Boutique
Total 2025 Cash Comp: $140k
Net Worth: $150k (Cash, Stock, 401k, Car)
Married / Single: Single
Senior Associate in MFPE (got VP promote) in NYC. 2 years at EB before.
Age: 27
Net Worth: ~$750k ex. carry
Honestly shocked at people my age being millionaires given I have had high comp all years, strong saving rate in nyc context, decent (not great) investing and no student loans and did not get there.
you're doing great for your age lol. others probably got more parental support and/or greater returns in the market by taking on higher risk. your NW will snowball regardless as VP.
Age: Late 30s
YoE: 15+
Current Role: HF PM
Total 2025 Cash Comp: Likely around $10m
Net Worth: Will exceed $40m after 2025 bonus
Married / Single: Married with kids
Got to around $2m at age 30, $10m at age 35, likely $50m by age 40. Worked very hard, took some risks, got lucky.
Impressive. Did you get any support when you started your career or just grinded? Side question, given you level of Net Worth and compensation, does your wife work as well?
No help, just grinded. Wife does not work apart from some charity / freelance projects.
More important question: when and where did you meet your wife and do you think you have a strong relationship with her. Or are you Jon Hamm in Your Friends and Neighbors
Congrats. You mentioned in another post that you had worked in low tax jurisdictions. Open to sharing whether this was APAC / whether you are back in the US now?
Age: 24
YoE: ~0.75-1y (UK degree, took 2 gap years)
Current Job: Analyst at LMM IB boutique, LDN
Total 2025 Comp: $110k USD (over 8 months / started in Q2 ‘25)
Current NW: ~$50k USD all in cash
Basicallly have been just saving an emergency fund but now want to deploy. TC will likely be $200-250k next year given current direction so am looking to be aggressive. Any advice is much appreciated
Based in London myself and looking to follow a similar path...currently on a gap year and wondering if there was anything productive you did to help you get into an IB boutique post uni? Did you find relevant experience in those gap years or was it spent travelling etc? Thanks
1st year was travelling, second year was playing a sport professionally and accumulating 2 boutique/short internships that really gave me a leg up come SA recruiting especially given I struck out for spring weeks
Experience in London and Italy… US numbers are crazy, congrats and let’s work for 2026 to be the fk u money year!
These threads are always survivorship/flexing-biased.
35M/10 YOE in IB/Cash comp: $200k (got laid off)/2025 NW: $1.5MM (inclusive of $800k mortgage)
Servicing a $7k mortgage while being unemployed is brutal. However, I'm ultimately very grateful for the position I'm in. Probably not going back into IB...I'm currently single so don't have a ton of cash needs.
What are you thinking as a next step
Try and find a job that can pay me $150-200k and hopefully sit tight for the next 2-5 years. Once you cross the $1MM in invested assets I personally feel like you're playing a time/compounding game rather than an accumulation game, so only targeting a level of comp that can roughly sustain my lifestyle. I was also never looking for hamptons-type of $$$$...I just want to be at least upper middle class in NYC by ~50 (so like 200k annual spend)
Age: 26
Years of Work: 2
Current Role: Analyst at MF PE in London
Total 2025 Cash Comp: $150K
Total Net Worth: $200k - Cash and S&P
Married/Single: Single
Age: 40
YoE: 14
Current Role: Director at a Bulge Bracket
Total 2025 Cash Comp: 550k
Married w/ 2 kids. Using easy life cheat code where wife works and makes almost 1mm a year. So HH income is about 1.5mm
Total Net Worth:
My 401k: 1.1mm
My Roth IRA: 400k
Her 401k: 600k
Her Roth IRA: 75k
529 plans: 150k
Random stock account: 50k
HSA: 50k
Cash savings: 100k
Real Estate:
Manhattan apartment 1 equity: 400k
Manhattan apartment 2 equity (no mortgage): 1.2mm
Outer borough apartment equity: 250k
NYC suburbs house equity: 950k
So total is around 5mm I guess. But real estate is so finicky, who knows if Manhattan real estate will hold its prices.
For the real estate, I put down the down payment on apartment 1 and other borough apartment. I was gifted apartment 2. All apartments have renters, but apartment 1 loses about 3k a month unfortunately.
Down payment on new house decimated taxable account and cash savings. I put down 750k myself and my family gave me the other 250k. About 50k went to closing costs and other random shit to fix it up.
Interesting - If you don't mind me asking, why so much real estate?
Curious too – trying to enter personal real estate investing as well.
I’m not a huge fan of real estate, at least not real estate in a mature market like NYC. The 500 index is much better bang for your buck imo, given that type of investing requests zero work.
The reason I have a few properties is kind of happenstance. One nyc apartment was because I worked in nyc and needed somewhere to live. Rent felt like such a waste of money so I figured why not live in an apartment I own.
The second apartment was simply a gift, so doesn’t cost me anything to upkeep. The third apartment was cheap and in a mediocre area so I figure it should go up and even if it doesn’t pan out, it only cost me like 200k to put down so at worst I figure I’ll break even.
And then the new house is cause we moved and it’s now my primary residence.
Owning apartments is a pain in the ass and I’d love to sell, but unfortunately apartment 1 would sell than less than I paid for it, and psychologically I can’t accept that. It would just piss me off too much.
Going forward, I won’t buy any more real estate and any I inherit, I will likely just try to sell off as soon as convenient.
Most important question is where did you find your wife??
It’s like I tell all the juniors at work, nyc is literally the best place on the planet to find a quality girl. I cannot think of a better place with such a concentration of rich and hot girls.
As long as you’re not delusional about your looks and believe you should hold out for someone way out of your attractive range, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to marry quality.
All the failed marriage in my social circle is typically the finance guy who just can’t accept he’s short or fat or ugly, marries the girl whose clearly several levels hotter than him, and they eventually break up.
If your a 5, you can naturally get a 6 or below. If your have money, you can bump that 6 to a 7.
But if you’re arrogant and think your money means you can marry an 8+, she’s gonna leave your ugly ass as soon as she feels the alimony is locked in.
Age: 33
Years of Work: 10
Current Role: VP at UMM PE
Total 2025 Cash Comp: $575k
Total Net Worth: $1.6mm ($575k in 401k/retirement, $640k in home equity, $375k in taxable brokerage)
Married/Single: Married
Age: 34
Years of Work: 10.5
Current Role: Principal at PE Fund
Total 2025 Cash Comp: ~800k
Total Net Worth: $3.0m, all brokerage + retirement accts (Caveats: spent ~$475k paying my wife's under/grad school debt; this was painful, but she's in a field making ~$500k+ reliably so I just tell myself I bought a 30-year annuity at ~1x CF)
Married/Single: Married (w/ 1 kid)
Nothing says I love you more than paying for grad school. Congrats sir
Just to cheer some of you up, I’m in MF PE.
After 3 years in IB (~600k pretax cumulative) and 3 years in PE (>$1m pretax cumulative), I had like $50k in my 401k and a grand total of like $10k in savings. I worked like a serf and partied like a lord. Went on last minute trips whenever I could swing it, lived it up at every opportunity. Sure, I spent money stupidly, but I also have tons of adventures (sometimes misadventures) and memories from my 20s.
It was a calculated decision. I didn’t want to pinch pennies and deprive myself of things in my youth just to have an extra $100 or even 200k in the bank when I’m 40 and make $100k post-tax in less than a month. It was an age/life-stage time value of money evaluation, if you will. At the core of it, you have to have supreme confidence that you’ll get to the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. If you play scared and are burdened by the “what if” I never get there, what if I need money and I don’t have it, you’ll for sure not get there.
I’m now almost 40 and that math surely checked out and then some. It surely doesn’t need to be all of nothing, but if it does, I’m glad I did it my way.
Respect. Can you share some of your adventures
How much time were you able to take off while working in IB that allowed you to spend so much? Or are we talking short expensive trips?
Also curious to hear about said adventures.
Age: 33
Years of Work: 11
Current Role: IC6 (Tech)
Total 2025 Cash Comp: $550K
Total NW: $1.3M
Married/Single: Married
10+ years in banking post MBA at junior MD level. Paid off fully financed MBA quickly. Wife is specialist doctor who started practicing recently so her savings are on lower end (but de-risks us moving forward). Kids don’t cost school / activities yet (but nanny is $120k pre-tax income …).
Little under $4mm all in basic index funds across personal / retirement accounts. Probably lost out some gains sitting tight during post-COVID bump.
No real estate or significant hard assets outside of car, watches, etc. Conservative in spending (low rent, upgraded flights for vacations, more JW Marriott than Ritz or Four Seasons) but do go to nice restaurants and OUS vacations.
Next few years will be interesting. Could be hitting that true MD pay (or flame out). Kids will cost more. Might have to buy a house. No more lap babies on business for vacation.
What has your comp been as jr MD?
Age: 27
YoE: 5.5
Current Role: Sr. Associate at MF PE (after IB; all Tier 1 City); looking to pivot out of PE though
Total 2025 Comp: ~$450K
Total NW: ~$1.2M (~$875 liquid, rest in retirement accts)
Single
Age: 24
YoE: 2.5
Current Role: Unemployed, was at startup and quit recently
Total 2025 Comp: ~$72K (prob more like $100K due to side hustle)
Total NW: ~$175k (90k brokerage, 30k Roth, 55k in sports cards/sneakers/memorabilia)
Soon to give up three years of earning potential for JD/MBA so we'll see
More of a question out of curiosity but why the JD/MBA? Why not just one? Always felt like a waste to get both at once unless for a very specific career in RX/Bankruptcy.
I’m definitely interested in restructuring. Will be getting the JD either way. MBA will only be if 3 year program and at a school if it makes sense
This thread is making me feel like I somehow screwed up along the way with saving / investing lol, would love to hear what people are doing to get such high NW at my age. I'll admit I did miss the boat on a lot of the 2024 bull market due to my own over-cautiousness.
Age: 26
YoE: 3.5 (2 IB, 1.5 PE)
Current Role: Associate at MM PE
Total 2025 Comp: ~$230k (stub mid-year bonus from when I joined last year, PF ~255k)
Total NW: ~$250k liquid & retirement, ~$200k DAW
Single
This is just people who have done very well / know they have done very well posting. Think about it; most people are not going to post if they are below the flexed numbers. The average IB analyst probably just saves their bonus (if that) but those types are not going to share in a NW thread.
This thread is just people flexing.
I’ve saved more than you at 26 as have an additional YOE and have more money than anyone I know (excluding anyone with significant parental support). With another year of earnings + decent market return you’ll be in the same spot as me. (26 / 4.5 YOE / $600 NW / ~330 A3 2024 / ~225 AS1 ex bonus 2025)
At our age, people’s net worth essentially comes down to were they able to invest their A1/A2 bonuses / internship money (ie limited student loans, stimmt checks, covid leases, 50-100%+ market returns) or did they have student loans, not save much as an analyst (subscribe to the die with zero theology).
There’s not really a right way to live life. I’ve always followed the millionaire next door idea but I’ve always known I have no desire to stay in finance for more than a few years and prioritized saving w/ inexpensive alternatives + maximizing hourly comp over exit opps.
Age: 25
YoE: 3.5
Role: MF PE Asso
Cash comp: $150K base, 3 years of IB
Net worth: $350K
Age: 26
YoE: 3.5 (graduated summer 2022 from a non-target)
Current Role: IB Associate at NYC BB
Total 2025 Comp: ~$270k
Total Net Worth: ~$365k on an after-tax basis and including Jan stub bonus
2 or 3 years as AN?
Can view it as 3, started at a non-IB firm for my first year and lateraled to a BB afterwards
Age: 30
Years of Work: 7.5
Current Role: VP at LMM firm; tier 2/3 city
Total 2025 Cash Comp: $415k
Total Net Worth: ~$1.7 million ($1.1M in equities across retirement and investment accounts; $175k in private investments; $350k in home equity; rest cash)
Married/Single: Married
Age: 25
YoE: 3
Current Role: Sourcing Associate at LMM (hcol)
Total 2025 Cash Comp: $115K
Total: ~$60K (mostly in 401K ~60%, rest in crypto/brokerage/co-invest), not much in cash
Married/Single: Single
Age: 23.5
YoE: 1.5
Role: EB Analyst 2
Cash Comp: ~220k
Net Worth: ~150k (cash stocks 401k backdoor roth). Lived below my means (and trying to continue but it’s getting hard) Invested most of my money/bonus
How come NW is basically ~70% of your total cash comp. Seems super high given that taxes take away 40-45%, and I assume you are paying for rent.
i’ve worked for 1.5 years and aggressively invested plus my company has good contribution benefits
Age: 27
YOE: 4.5
Role: Senior Asso. in VC (2 yr IB and 2 yr PE)
Married
NW: 370k (working at a BB in 2021-22 really hurt my savings. Got 35k and 60k lol)
What's your TC these days at the VC? Also at one and always curious how mine benchmarks.
350k cash (185k base and 165k bonus) and 25bps of profit on deal by deal basis. Tier 2 city
Ignore title
Age: 25
YoE: 3.5 (1.5 years PE analyst, 2 year HF)
Total 2025 Comp: $550k
Total Liquid NW: $660k
Age: 30
Years of Work: 8.5 (graduated 2017)
Current Role: IB Aso 3 in LCOL City
Total 2025 Cash Comp: ~$400k
Total Net Worth: ~$1.3 million
Married/Single: Single
Age: 29
NW: $1M dot, maybe 25% is retirement accounts 75% brokerage
Comp: $400K ish
6.5 YOE, at a hedge fund but being pushed out
What now?
Who’s asking
Any more Londoners here?
Heres mine: Analyst 2 London BB
Age: 22
YoE: 1.5 year (including an off cycle)
Total expected cash comp: £135-140k
Total net worth: £60k all in savings
Would love to see fellow Londoners to see how green the grass really can get :)
London based here and I have done 3 years in banking and 1 in PE. Let me tell you / whoever reads this a couple things: don't compare it to figures here as selection bias + some clear parental support in some cases.
In my instance:
I'm 28 and had no bonus in the year of PE due to the fund winding down (so only got a generous severance which basically covered a few months of unemployment but that's it).
Current role: Aso at an Evergreen fund
Total net worth including SIPP: ~$200k. (Maybe a tad more if I include watch and some art (10k))
Had also some personal health issues which cost me about $30/40k.
Leaving aside no bonus for one year and the personal expenses, could I save more? Yes, I could go in zone 2 or in smaller room and save 4/500 pounds per month and avoid some fancy dinners or clubs/trips but I also feel like having those experiences is worth more than 2/30k more in my account, especially in my 20s
Not to flex on you but not sure that’s entirely true. The people posting strong numbers are clearly doing pretty well, but £150k at 28 shouldn’t be base case. As you say you have had some issues, missed a bonus cycle etc. I’m 30 and should cross £1m NW (all liquid) shortly and I don’t have any major stock market gains - index only basically. In my experience it starts to snowball once you’re a few years in PE and once you’re out of the Analyst / Jr Associate trenches as youve finally attained a reasonable lifestyle and all raises can go straight into savings. It does take discipline, patience and commitment though
Age: 31
Years of experience: 9
Role: sector head at single manager ($10+ billion AUM, lean team)
2025 comp: $3.5 million cash, $1.5 million deferred. Strong performance with returns meaningfully beating spx
Net worth: $4.8 million liquid taxable brokerage across passive and active ETFs/mutual funds and some fixed income, $500k Ira/401K. No real estate, no debt or other liabilities.
Have had a lot of success, hard work and luck last 3 yrs which has allowed for stratospheric advancement in NW and comp over past 4 yrs.
Congrats! Out of curiosity, what education did you get to land this HF MD role? No need to name any specific university, but I'm curious as to the degree(s) and topic(s)
Age: 26
YoE: 4.5
Current Role: MM PE Associate I
Total Cash Comp: ~$300K all-in
Net Worth: ~$600K
• ~$250K retirement
• ~$350K liquid
Married/Single: Single
How did you get to 600 so early? Ignore title but I’m also in PE similar age at $300k. No student loans and no crazy investments just index funds.
IB analyst 1: saved 100k of my 160k TC by living in a dangerous area shoebox and spending like a pauper
IB analyst 2: similar to 1 except 180k TC
A2A: bunch of one time discretionary bonuses and upgrading / lateraling banks so I think earned 400k and saved about 250k+ of it
PE asso 1: IB asso made lot more money but was feeling dissatisfied with personal growth / learning so moved to MMPE. Saved some (not a lot) 75k
Rest is investment growth
My take: don’t quit IB if you’re maximizing NW and can tolerate it. If you do quit, swing for the fences at a pod or SM HF, don’t do MMPE for money maximizing purposes (maybe MF is different earnings calculus). I learned a ton so it’s worth it to me personally (debatably), but for most people it’s honestly probably not worth.
Non-PE/Finance guy chiming in here…
Age: 35
Years of Work: 13 (graduated 2012)
Current Role: Government Employee
Total 2025 Cash Comp: $130k (wife makes an additional $130k for a total of $260k)
Total Net Worth: ~$1.2 million
Married/Single: Married w/ 2kids
Breakdown:
401k/retirement - $300k
Home Equity - $400k
Pension Value - $500k
Cash - $50k
This would easily be closer to 2MM if we didn’t have kids (we pay $50k a year post-tax for tuition), but the most important things in life are not numbers on an internet forum
Could you do something entrepreneurial? Government contracting/consulting? Congrats - sounds like a great journey.
Maybe I could, but my children are ages 3 and 1.
Pretty tough years for raising children. Also pretty pivotal years I wouldn’t want to miss out on.
I don’t feel like I’m broke… I feel like I’m doing quite well and I’m very happy with where I am in life. Lots of control over my time. No stress. And I love my family. My home has a 3% interest rate so my house is nice enough—2000+ sf, 3 beds, 4 baths in VHCOL. Maybe once both kids are in kindergarten I can get some of my time back and can look into more revenue generation opportunities.
Age: 31
9 years buyside
PM at MM HF (L/S)
2025 comp: 11m. Best year personally, happy to elaborate how comp works in this world, but as a PM, you get economics on your p&l. So I get 18-20% of whatever we generate to pay my team in bonuses, and I take ~60% of that.
Total net worth: 21m including after tax 25’ comp. I’ve always done well PA wise (mainly express my macro views through ETFs). I didn’t really start making $ (1m+) until I was 26. From 26 to 29 I averaged 1-3m, then it started to inflect in the last 2 years.
Married, SAHW
I’ve been very lucky in my career and would say the main reason I’m rich at this age is starting in the industry at a younger age than most.
Well done - Can you elaborate on your Net Worth split?
Sure
13m in my PA which consists of me trading ETFs/thematic bets + I have ~5 single name positions in things I’m allowed to trade
1m BTC
1m apartment equity (this was a dumb idea and I should have just rented. Not smart to buy in NYC)
250k cash
250k in 401k
5.5m for 2025 after tax bonus (some cash some deferred, but deferred portion grows)
Why did I go into PE? FML
Haha many years ago I thought “why didn’t I got into PE” after being torn up post my first earnings season.
The grass is always greener!
The likelihood of a given person having this outcome at a MMHF is very, very low. It’s much easier to stay employed and you make much more, risk adjusted, in PE. Pick your poison
Congrats! Out of curiosity, what education did you get to land this HF PM role? No need to name any specific university, but I'm curious as to the degree(s) and topic(s)
In my second year of banking and grateful for this thread. So interesting to see how folks achieve financial wellness so early relative to the broader population, despite taking separate paths. And I hope you all have achieved (or are making progress toward achieving) happiness as well - however it may be defined for you.
deleted WSO phone web version is an atrocity
Is this Accel?
Age: 30
YOE: 8 - 3yrs M&A + 5yrs PE
Current Role: Co-founder/VP of a fund
Total Cash Comp: $1.5M - $750K cash + $750k deferred comp
Total Net Worth: ~$20M (~$2M real estate in T2/3 cities, ~$2M brokerage/retirement, ~$16M equity in company), if we hit performance hurdles over 3-4yrs will be closer to ~$50M
Married/Single: Single
How is this possible?
lmao
.
Age: 42
Years of work: 20
Current role: Director sellside trader
Total 2025 cash comp: 1.4mm
Total net worth: 8.9mm
Married
How was your comp progression as a sell side trader, and how are you enjoying the role? I left as a second year associate so always fighting a little grass-is-greener-or-at-least-less-stressful.
Comp averaged 450k between 2013-2016, 700k between 2017-2021, and 1.2mm between 2022-present. What I trade is a pretty esoteric rate product so it's been extremely volatile, challenging, and intellectually stimulating. But I'm ready to leave once I hit my number which I'm hoping will happen next 3-5 years.
Age: 28
YOE: 6
Current role: PE Associate
Net worth: $1.4M (about $700k in taxable brokerage accounts, $550k in retirement accounts, and the rest in miscellaneous private investments)
Not married
Have gotten lucky with the markets the past few years
Just etfs or did you use other forms of investing? Dont see how this is possible unless non nyc, top of street comp and crazy returns. Thanks
I had a highly concentrated portfolio until 2025 when I felt that I had built up enough of a snowball to broaden out. Still have approximately 40% top three concentration, but it’s harder to diversify out of those names because of the related tax hit. Have never made more than $300k TC.
I’ve only worked in NYC.
Age: low 30’s
YOE: 10+, 2-3 years non-IB finance, 8 years IB
Current Role: First year Director
Total Cash Comp: $600k
Total Net Worth: ~$2.5-3m. $2m+ in taxable; 600k+ in 401k. Saved all bonus + chunk of salary. Held too much cash - probably would be 4m+ if I just auto invested into VOO
Bro what how did you achieve that NW? I am largely same age / position as you and I have $1.5mm all together and I saved every bonus I got. Were you really frugal? Have parents head start with some cash? Not hating just curious, good for you
No student loans. Lived with roommates for several years. Saved more of my base than most of my peers. ‘21 - ‘25 bonuses were great
Age: 26
Years of Work: 4.5
Current Role: Analyst at small alternative asset firm
Total 2025 Cash Comp: 99.5K
Total Net Worth: $350-360K
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