So think far dumber than hedge fund maths, AI, anything "trading". What's also counterintuitive is people who hang around at investment banks for more than 1-2

So think far dumber than hedge fund maths, AI, anything "trading". What's also counterintuitive is people who hang around at investment banks for more than 1-2 years are usually less skilled / motivated. The play in finance is generally if you grind out the corporate game long enough, you'll see impressive pay. The work is just horrifically dull, you're always at the mercy of your superior nearly 24/7 and it just takes time. First year analysts (excel monkeys), basically people with a business degree and a middle-school statistics education are getting paid easily $110k base with $90k bonus (this is MIDDLE of the road). I live with people who are 25, have nothing more than a finance degree from the university of Florida and have made "associate" at second-tier firms like Lazard and RBC making $220k base and easily $110k bonus.