Deleted

Family offices are genuinely a lottery ticket—if the person who runs it or the family is experienced and/or the real deal, you can get a great experience. If they aren’t generous or are a phony you will have a crap experience. Point72 was/is a family office, but so is some random wealth management clown who has a few million. There are numerous ex-founders or early employees of investing giants or major companies that can offer as interesting and competitive comp as anywhere. That said, just know the office you work for it will be the pm/ family’s world and you are living in it.

Anecdotally, starting with a large blue chip firm early in your career is usually risk adjusted the smartest move—it allows you to get into an established training program, network, and adapt to the corporate life and will keep more doors open as you figure out what you want to do long term. That said, I do know an individual who went to a family office right out the gate and learned from an industry expert and achieved generous comp before leaving to a larger fund. Unless you are rather certain the opportunity is fairly unique at the family office such as you closely working with someone who has decades of experience that you could explain to anyone and their eyes would get wide, I would strongly suggest going for the larger more well known firm.