I find it hard to muster any sympathy for junior bankers. They just want to grow up so they can be the ones doing the fucking over.

"Charles? Why, we don't have a Charles at this newspaper."

(I do like the way Brendan framed the commentary. For those business owners, the store is just one big happy family till it comes time to pay their employees.)

Of course the intern is going to say, on record, that he enjoys the experience. He's not going to sabotage his own work by telling his future employers what he truly thinks of them.

"I'm doing all my employees a favor!"

Wow, that straw man you quoted sure is an asshole.

If you can't run a business that pays its (very generous) employees a fair wage, maybe you're not cut out for business.

I'll file that one right next to "If you don't think you're getting paid enough, go find another job."

@1 summed it up pretty well. Given the massive trove of wealth at the end of that particular rainbow, it's not at all surprising that people compete for it by overworking themselves.

I've certainly known employers and managers who felt they were doing me a favor by giving me a job. Even the words suggest a "gift" rather than an equal exchange of money for labor.

Professional finance is a culture of incredibly successful conmen. It isn't too surprising that hazing is rampant. After all, once you get through hell year or whatever you are going to be fabulously wealthy.

@1, @6

But it's not just the bankers who do this. Don't universities say that they're doing their graduate teaching assistants a favor by "training" them to teach? It's necessary experience, but it's also underpaid labor that is cheaper than hiring permanent faculty. And did we see that story a couple of weeks ago about minor league baseball players? There are the hot prospects who get their signing bonuses, but the typical minor leaguer makes something like $7000 or maybe $10,000 during the season. And in Oakland, there's a lawsuit underway by one of the Raiders cheerleaders (joined by at least on more cheerleader, last I heard) suing the team for violating labor laws. Detractors say that the cheerleaders are there by choice and benefit from simply having the opportunity.

Interns giving away their labor to businesses that turn around and sell it

Giving away their labor? I realize that's how things work at The Stranger, but in the financial industry, these kids are making far more than you, Brendan.

give away your labor, give away your "free time," let them sell it at a massive markup, and enjoy it.

Your damn right he enjoys it - he's on track to become a multi-millionaire while he's still in his 30's. They don't just hand out obscenely lucrative finance jobs to every asshole who wanders in off the street. It's a fucking dog fight to get to the position where you can cheat the rest of the world out of its money. In this case, one of the dogs died.

Sorry, this post is all FAIL.

What sort of black market stimulants was this kid using to stay awake for 72 hours at a stretch?, I wonder. Newer "research chemicals"? Or the older stuff?

What is this, old news day? Isn't this story about 120 years old?

I'm calling bullshit.

The Stranger didn't pay thier interns AT ALL for OVER twenty god damned years. And you never said shit about it, Kiley. Not once.

Bank Interns really should unionize, to prevent this abuse.

Somehow I doubt that The Stranger's unpaid interns are working anything remotely resembling 100 hour weeks.

These internships in finance, investment, accounting, consulting are all unpaid or underpaid, with immense demands on your personal resources and strength. Chances are that you will be hired if you can nab the internship (which is difficult enough--everyone around you will be competing for a tiny number of seats, and the internships are located in expensive cities, so even if it's paid, you probably can't afford it) and complete it (don't get sick, and don't have any family members die, and don't have any relationships).