freshly graduated, you sign your first M&A associate offer at 150k a year. years pass, it climbs 250k, 350k. you take out a mortgage on a beautiful apartment.
you're deeper in every month. the days get longer. you love the work less and less
it destroys your body, 13-15 hour days of artificial light. but no other job will pay like this, and you can no longer scale down your lifestyle.
if you're exceptional, you make partner: first non-equity, then equity. you hit $ 1M a year. if you're a superstar, $ 5M+.
then at 55 you disappear from a stroke. the firm stops for five minutes to post a LinkedIn tribute. then goes back to work.
you're forgotten forever. you didnât even notice the beauty of life.
this is a true story