An associate at a US investment bank is understood to have passed away after allegedly working 120-hour weeks on a deal in the Financial Institutions Group (FIG) sector.
Various social media posts claim that the associate concerned had a wife and child and joined the bank through the Veteran’s program having previously been a green beret. Unsubstantiated social media posts claim that he worked 120 hours a week for four weeks running and drank energy drinks to stay awake. The claims have not been validated and the cause of death is not known. Claims that he died of overwork are speculative.
Relatives of the associate have asked that his name is not shared as they are “grieving and processing” his death.
The tragedy follows complaints several years ago from juniors who said they were working 100-hour weeks during the pandemic. There have been recent suggestions that working hours have worsened again as banks pitch for and execute deals with smaller teams.
In 2013, Bank of America intern Moritz Erhardt died after having an epileptic fit after working long hours. Initial reports suggested that Erhardt had worked three days straight without sleeping.
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