A significant number of high-performing young traders from major investment banks make the leap to hedge funds, according to a review by eFinancialCareers of 15 star traders who first rose to prominence back in 2016.
The analysis found that roughly 33% – including former managing directors at Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, and JPMorgan – have since joined hedge funds, taking on senior portfolio manager or unit-head roles.
Notable examples include: Rani Nazim, former Morgan Stanley credit trading MD, who joined Verition Fund Management in late 2025 after a stint as an angel investor,
Andrew Silverman, ex-Goldman Sachs distressed debt MD, now heads credit, discretionary macro, and fixed income at Schonfeld.
Dan Avery meanwhile, formerly a Goldman Sachs index trading MD, moved to Millennium before joining Balyasny Asset Management as a delta one portfolio manager, reportedly overseeing multi-billion-dollar strategies. Simon Drake, ex-JPMorgan convertibles VP, now works at Rokos Capital Management.
Only four of the 15 are still in banking while two arena working for technology firms.
