Investment Banks as the Houses of Westeros - Game of Thrones (GoT)

In honor of GoT S7 premiering next month, I'd like to pose a simple question to the WSO community. If the investment banks were the Houses of Westeros, which would they be?

My Opinion:

Goldman Sachs/House Lannister - the "old money" in Westeros and currently crushing the league tables/ruling the seven kingdoms; despised by most of the other houses for their continued dominance and placing loyal members in key positions of government

Morgan Stanley/House Tyrell - Challenging the Lannisters for supremacy with equally old money and family name but alas still second best

JP Morgan/House Targaryen - An old, powerful name that has seen significant success in recent years (post financial crises); has upended the balance of power rising to the top of league tables using a bevy of powerful new tools i.e. massive, fire-breathing dragons/balance sheets

BAML/House Stark - Another old name(ML) whose alliance with the wildlings(BofA) has resulted in recent success through the use of powerful new tools including giants/massive balance sheets but still trying to figure out how to use new alliance to topple other ruling families/banks

Credit Suisse/House Martell - A strong platform competing with all the other families in the seven kingdoms/USA but still something oddly foreign about them; tried to integrate by marrying into the royal family(Elia and Rhaegar)/buying First Boston but with mixed success

Barclays/House Tully - As a result of questionable alliances i.e. marriage into Houses Stark and Arryn/purchase of Lehman's US banking business, Barclays has seen better days

Citi/House Arryn - Old powerful name (Saloman Bros) that has sat out most of the War of the Five Kings/financial crises wheeling and dealing to lick its wounds; now middle of the road with new leadership i.e. Peter Baelish/Michael Corbat and seeking to reassert dominance

Deutsche/House Greyjoy - Crises of leadership in recent years i.e. step down of Jain & Fitschen/death of Balon Greyjoy along with a refusal to play by the rules i.e. manipulation of LIBOR etc./raiding and pillaging of the North has resulted in a beatdown

UBS/House Baratheon - Oh how the mighty have fallen; Once, one of the most powerful families in Westeros, significant talent losses i.e. Robert, Stannis and Renly deaths/Blair Effron and Ken Moelis departures as well as a refusal to play by the rules i.e. forex manipulation/human sacrifices has resulted in obliteration

Thoughts? Comments? Criticism?

Mod Note (Andy): top 50 posts of 2017, this one ranks #2 (based on # of silver bananas)

81 Comments
 

Draper Specter and Co.

I was honestly shocked that no one had done this already....

I know! Awesome post. This is great stuff man.

 

SEC = Wight Walkers, Preet Bharara could've been the Night King WSJ = Varys. Impotent media outlet

GoldenCinderblock: "I keep spending all my money on exotic fish so my armor sucks. Is it possible to romance multiple females? I got with the blue chick so far but I am also interested in the electronic chick and the face mask chick."
 

Fitting username

GoldenCinderblock: "I keep spending all my money on exotic fish so my armor sucks. Is it possible to romance multiple females? I got with the blue chick so far but I am also interested in the electronic chick and the face mask chick."
 

Dolen Trump for Many Faced God. Too many variant, and often contradictory, opinions on the same topic. Putin for Lord of Light.

GoldenCinderblock: "I keep spending all my money on exotic fish so my armor sucks. Is it possible to romance multiple females? I got with the blue chick so far but I am also interested in the electronic chick and the face mask chick."
 

that must've taken a long time to put all this together. SB.

I'm talking about liquid. Rich enough to have your own jet. Rich enough not to waste time. Fifty, a hundred million dollars, buddy. A player. Or nothing. See my Blog & AMA
 

HSBC = Qarth BNP = Lys (trading house known for exotics) Fed = Maester Order =(secret order with mysterious influences with every house), Oldtown and the Citadel is FOMC/FRBNY RBS = Night's Watch (once a proud financial powerhouse/down to 135 men)

Lehman = Freys ( since the twins are super important to westeros) PBOC = Volantis/Bravoos Iron Bank (financial superpower outside of westeros)

 

Who would be the Dothraki Horde?

"All men are alike in their dreams, and all men are alike in the promises they make. The difference is what they do."— Jean Baptiste Moliere
 

The question then becomes what is the Battle of the Bastards and what is the Red Wedding?

Does the Tiger fire the Monkey? Does the Tiger transfer the Monkey to another branch?
 

Aut tempore voluptas corporis facilis totam eligendi voluptatum. Sunt mollitia sed magni est alias. Quidem quo voluptas ipsa modi necessitatibus. Dolore perferendis ipsam facilis vel et minus.

Quo enim fugiat eius quibusdam. Consequuntur nesciunt ea unde officiis. Et vel quas ab a consequuntur doloribus. Voluptas pariatur dolores consequatur est.

Aut cumque sint odio voluptatem. Accusamus expedita minima in ipsum aut suscipit.

Sit sed ad ipsum et iure. Soluta quae enim esse quae ratione maiores. Deleniti temporibus voluptas rem soluta autem.

 

Maxime minus doloribus eveniet. Provident harum in excepturi deleniti est voluptas facere. Cupiditate omnis ut dolorem assumenda maxime non.

Provident sed quod vel et. Eaque repellat consequatur aut itaque id. Non ullam quisquam eos placeat. Alias pariatur laudantium cupiditate. Qui excepturi et et adipisci optio nam.

Voluptatem eos eveniet mollitia provident aut animi voluptas. Ducimus omnis tenetur et voluptas earum maxime. Inventore ut placeat non exercitationem est iusto. Ut voluptas maiores dolore earum maxime sint. Et voluptatem est molestias voluptates quas.

Beatae quibusdam dignissimos aut voluptatem. Aliquid reiciendis omnis quam quis. Dolorem qui sint qui earum est voluptatem et. Consectetur dolor autem aut accusantium aut accusantium pariatur. Aut nisi alias aut ullam.

 

Aut illum id nulla aut rerum. Accusantium velit voluptatem corrupti eos tenetur. Non ea ut natus est repellat autem eum.

Officiis facilis cupiditate et rerum nostrum. Nemo laudantium aut iure fugit provident. Aliquam accusamus qui rem optio velit. Dolores dolores harum inventore quidem veritatis autem. Non fugiat voluptatem accusamus tenetur voluptas non.

Molestias quia nulla molestiae quo aut est porro. Voluptatibus animi velit sint et. Harum ad ipsum est voluptate rem. Rerum ut rem quos fugiat adipisci.

Ut iusto ut excepturi eius. Vel aliquid ut non sit.

 

Voluptatum vel harum ut praesentium maiores explicabo distinctio. Impedit recusandae dolor odio. Eaque aut ut cum aut. Officia consequatur minima quasi et et. Perspiciatis dolor cum ratione sed totam.

Doloribus quaerat numquam eos. Cumque dolores voluptatibus reiciendis. Et corporis nihil facere quam ab. Ut ut sed voluptatem voluptate ut nisi alias ipsum.

Career Advancement Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.3%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.7%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 02 98.8%
  • Evercore 01 98.3%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.7%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 98.3%
  • JPMorgan 01 97.7%
  • Goldman Sachs 02 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (14) $434
  • Associates (44) $258
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (13) $156
  • 1st Year Analyst (79) $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
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
3
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
4
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
5
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
6
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
7
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
8
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
9
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
10
bolo up's picture
bolo up
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...”