Key Takeaways
- • eFinancialCareers' "Coffee Run" series examines non-traditional routes into private equity, beyond the standard investment bank or PE graduate-scheme pipeline.
- • The series profiles Bakari Akil, who was homeless in 2015 and, according to eFinancialCareers, is now a self-made private equity founder at age 37.
- • eFinancialCareers' Morning Coffee commentary argues that leaving banking for private equity no longer matches the economics of the industry, because banking pay can exceed private equity earnings once carried interest is excluded.
- • Some banks reportedly re-recruit junior M&A staff who left for private equity, and eFinancialCareers says the prestige once attached to banking careers is fading.
Summary
eFinancialCareers' "Coffee Run" video series examines career paths into private equity that fall outside the traditional routes of investment banking and PE graduate schemes. The most recent installment profiles Bakari Akil, who according to the publisher was homeless in 2015 and has since built his fortunes by founding his own private equity firm. At 37, he is described as living lavishly. The piece contrasts his trajectory with that of the typical private equity graduate hire, which the publisher frames as the more commonly known route.
The series sits alongside broader coverage questioning the appeal of leaving banking for private equity. In a Morning Coffee item, eFinancialCareers argues that the move "is no longer aligned to the reality of the world." Its reasoning is economic: staying in banking may yield higher combined salary and bonus compensation than private equity earns once carried interest is removed from the comparison. The publisher also reports that some banks have sought to re-recruit junior M&A bankers who departed for private equity, and that the prestige long associated with investment banking careers is diminishing, even as the industry remains lucrative.
Earlier eFinancialCareers coverage has examined the same dynamic from several angles, including why Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan are losing the fight to private equity for talent, as reported in a January 2026 Coffee Run piece by Alex McMurray. Other items address the motivations of investment bankers who move to private equity firms and hedge funds, and how to exit a banking role without damaging relationships with former employers. The publisher's own advice is that bankers should avoid burning bridges with their old employers.
The series sits alongside broader coverage questioning the appeal of leaving banking for private equity. In a Morning Coffee item, eFinancialCareers argues that the move "is no longer aligned to the reality of the world." Its reasoning is economic: staying in banking may yield higher combined salary and bonus compensation than private equity earns once carried interest is removed from the comparison. The publisher also reports that some banks have sought to re-recruit junior M&A bankers who departed for private equity, and that the prestige long associated with investment banking careers is diminishing, even as the industry remains lucrative.
Earlier eFinancialCareers coverage has examined the same dynamic from several angles, including why Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan are losing the fight to private equity for talent, as reported in a January 2026 Coffee Run piece by Alex McMurray. Other items address the motivations of investment bankers who move to private equity firms and hedge funds, and how to exit a banking role without damaging relationships with former employers. The publisher's own advice is that bankers should avoid burning bridges with their old employers.
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