Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Entertainment
Jonathan Mahon-Heap

‘One guy brandished a whip’ – bankers on Industry’s rampant sex, drugs and bullying culture

Sex in the City: ‘It’s a tantalising way of life until it burns you out,’ says Victor, 31.
Sex in the City: ‘It’s a tantalising way of life until it burns you out,’ says Victor, 31. Photograph: Nick Strasburg/HBO

If money is the root of all evil, does that make Pierpoint the centre of hell? Employees at the fictional bank in the hit TV drama Industry certainly walk, talk and powerdress like the devil himself. But do the cutthroat antics of Industry’s beautiful twentysomethings reflect reality? Does the gen-Z meets The Wolf of Wall Street vision tarnish the good name of multinational investment banks? Is workplace sex as rife as the show suggests? Or is the excess simply excessive?

We asked young finance workers from top firms – including Rothschild and JP Morgan, the ones Pierpoint modelled itself on. They all consulted their contracts, chose their pseudonyms and they all confirmed one thing: in the City, a quilted gilet still reigns supreme.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.