The comment you're replying to laid it out pretty clearly if you want to be a part of a hedge fund (as I interpret your question.) Know friends and family with

The comment you're replying to laid it out pretty clearly if you want to be a part of a hedge fund (as I interpret your question.) Know friends and family with money (a lot, hopefully) or, more commonly, have institutional connections. Have at least some connections and experience in finance/banking/investing (at a large scale, not small-fry stuff). Bring the two together with a lot of marketing and promises. If you want to work in IB, then you basically need to go to a feeder school or have connections. The investment business is a lot of "look, we have the smartest people in the room to handle your money, trust us." They rely, like consulting, on selling the prestige of their employees education and social capital. You will sign on to working absurd hours, with the promise of making a lot of $$$ if you can survive (literally, a guy died this year at BofA).