Harvard MBA Alum Calls Out Bro Culture In Finance

Finance bros

With 14.9 million views on TikTok and another 4.5 million on X, Kristen Jones Miller has clearly tapped into the gestalt of bro culture. Miller, an entrepreneur who earned her MBA from Harvard Business School in 2014, offers up her view of the male hierarchy in finance, opining on the date-ability of men who work in investment banking, hedge funds, private equity and venture capital.

She should know these bros well. Miller not only went to school with many of them; she’s also the co-founder of Mented, a multi-million dollar cosmetics brand celebrating the beauty of diversity, where she currently serves as brand president. Three months ago, a private equity firm, West Lane Capital Partners, acquired Mented.

Her TikTok video has generated a massive number of comments on X, some affirming her view of the financial sector and others taking issue with her motivations.

A Harvard Business School alum weights in on finance bros on TikTok

‘IN THE SPIRIT OF SISTERHOOD’

“As a graduate of Harvard Business School,” she begins in the video, “I was surrounded by every manner of finance man. In the spirit of sisterhood, I will be now breaking down for you the finance bro hierarchy.”

At the bottom of the hierarchy are investment bankers. Now keep in mind this is a well-paid hierarchy so even though they are at the bottom, they are still well paid. The worst investment bankers, even at no-name banks, are going to pull in $250,000….and if he is doing his job well, or he is at a top-named bank like Goldman Sachs or JP Morgan, we’re talking about a million-plus. That’s the good news.

“What’s the bad news? You are never going to see this man. He is working 80 to 100 hours a week. Is it your birthday? It doesn’t matter. Oh, is it Christmas? No one cares. He is at work. This is the man to date if you want to be a NOBO.”

‘YOU ARE NEVER GOING TO SEE THIS MAN’

“Up next we have our hedge fund bros,” she continues. “What is a hedge fund? Nobody knows. And it doesn’t matter because he is well paid, alright? Even the bad ones are clearing half a million a year. If he knows what he is doing, we are talking about multiple millions a year. That’s the good news.

“What’s the bad news? You are never going to see this man. Much like his I-banking friends, he will be working 80 to 100 hours a week. This is the man to date if you want to be flown out. If you want to go to Greece, bitch, I love that. Bring a friend. He won’t be there.”

“Now finally at the top of the hierarchy we have our VC/PE, venture capital, private equity. Now these guys are very well paid. In a single deal, they can clear multiple millions of dollars. But what’s even more, they have time, time on their hands to spend with you because their job is basically chit-chatting. Is it a real job? That’s for another video.  The good news is he’s got the money and he’s got the time.

VC/PE? ‘YOU ARE GOING TO GET A WHOLE LOT OF MANSPLAINING’

“What’s the bad news? Well Brad and Chad have portfolio companies in almost every industry so they are confined they are experts in everything. So you are going to get a whole lot of mansplaining.  It’s never gonna stop. But like I said they got the money, they got the time, so this is who you want if you want to start a family…

“Stay safe, and happy hunting.”

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