PE (Buyout) Asso. vs. Well-known Crypto VC Investment Asso.

Hi guys, need some help here.

I interned at MS IBD and have been working in PE for 3 years as an Analyst.

Lately I have received 2 associate offers, PE vs. Crypto VC Investment. Both are investment roles with great senior exposure for having small/startup teams. The PE fund is a TMT buyout fund that is backed by sovereign wealth, but still relatively new. The Crypto fund is a newly raised $100m~$500m fund backed by top crypto companies (Binance, Coinbase, Huobi, etc.)

Which one should I go? 

10 Comments
 

Yeah, you're right about that (given those facts). I've had a few friends leave banking after becoming crypto millionaires and then do the kind of thing you're talking about. They're all doing really well but I just don't know enough about this stuff to truly opine. I think that going buyout would yield 'better' exit opps should you not like it whereas the crypto gig may preclude you from certain jobs.

I'm not arguing you go PE btw, it's whatever you wanna do.

 

Do a weighted expected value of your expected comp based on different returns for the cryptoAnd also what your options are if shit hits the fan economy wise and you can get another investing job / what's your alternative.If the upside in 1 year is enough to overcome potential downsides after getting fired etc (e.g. you can make a million dollars vs 250k at a traditional spot) then it's a no brainer. But doing probability weighted analysis should be good e.g. 2% chance you get $5M. Obviously subjective inputs.Also how likely you get cash comp ASAP? Likelihood you need to litigate / you'll get scammed or shafted on your comp by someone who doesn't think you deserve all of it? Being backed by legit companies reduces risk but doesn't eliminate it. This is an extremely important point to consider.

 
Most Helpful

Crypto. Yolo. Do something interesting with your life. PE is a fine low risk high reward job. Doing crypto is a chance to be different. It's closer to PE in the 90s. You won't be doing KKR/Nabisco equivalent in the crypto space (the crazy BTC/ETH rocketship has taken off) but it's still a poorly understood space with frequent mispricings (and even debate about price discovery). Even guys who are as far form crypto as possible like Howard Marks will tell you money is made in misunderstood securities where there is sufficient doubt to create upside for people who have informed conviction.

 

Quis deleniti similique eius magni. Autem nihil ea maxime quo.

Repudiandae voluptates omnis vitae culpa enim. Nesciunt soluta enim perspiciatis ipsa blanditiis praesentium quos.

Ut velit distinctio dolores quis consequuntur et repellat reiciendis. Sed reprehenderit culpa aperiam similique id autem ipsam. Et in ad at accusamus in dolor. Vitae reiciendis et animi numquam quis sequi.

Rem et omnis beatae sint et distinctio facilis. Velit ut perferendis distinctio expedita reiciendis. Nemo asperiores porro iure commodi. Velit eveniet ut magnam quia aut porro. Alias et temporibus dolorem sit laudantium minus ut autem. Vero ut quisquam cum eum sit facilis. Aliquid rerum labore et doloremque itaque officia.

Career Advancement Opportunities

September 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.9%
  • Goldman Sachs 02 97.4%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

September 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.5%
  • Morgan Stanley 02 98.9%
  • Evercore 01 98.4%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.9%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.4%

Professional Growth Opportunities

September 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.9%
  • JPMorgan No 97.4%

Total Avg Compensation

September 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (56) $261
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (28) $184
  • Intern/Summer Associate (16) $161
  • 1st Year Analyst (84) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (76) $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
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
4
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
5
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
6
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
7
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
8
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
9
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
10
numi's picture
numi
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...”