Best banks for pe exits? (London)

I know that there are many threads from the past, but many any inaccurate (eg: Laz is at the top in many of them)

Also wondering how the new polices by the BBs to retain talent may affect placement in the next few cycles

Any thoughts are appreciated

26 Comments
 

Its an investing seat, more strategic and intellectual, more entrepreneurial, longer projects

Also, better pay, somewhat better hours and I could always come back to banking

 
Most Helpful

Your answer is what I anticipate

I was exactly like you when I was a student. Then I realised that PE is more stressful (you actually invest money), longer hours (you actually need to understand all the DD materials), more toxic (all the hardos / psychos go there), less career progression (and the partner is not leaving any time soon), and less money than banking (in advance: carried interest is a joke, do some digging). I am just inviting you to do more due diligence, and it can start by going to the PE section of this forum

My advice: go in IB in a bank with a decent work life balance (not Goldman for example), do it until VP3 and save money (look into "fire movement"), and then coast in a chill corporate job / enjoy life

PS: I am not a psycho and I love life, which is not the case of many people in this forum

 

Yes, I know the top 3 are the best, but I don’t mind slightly worse exits for better culture and pay

I read somewhere that since there is no on cycle, people from a lot of banks get interviews from hhs. Correct me if I’m wrong, but will people from roths/laz also get roughly the same interviews as evr/pjt but then the quality of bankers at those firms is just better? Why has laz in particular had such bad exits?

 
[Comment removed by mod team]
 

That argument makes no sense. A language requirement is also there if you are at GS/MS, does not matter which bank. If CD&R hires a German or Italian, they could easily do it from top 3 BBs too. 

 

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