The Big Read
These days corporate traders try to keep their indulgence under wraps
Banks seek to project a nobler image following 2008 crisis — but the opulence is still there
Towards the end of the 20th century, traders took over from bankers as the new, vibrant and incredibly extravagant kids on the block. Trading, epitomised by the likes of stockbroker Jordan Belfort, the Wolf of Wall Street, became synonymous with fast cars, strippers and blow. But now, in the decade after the financial crisis, traders are a whole lot less conspicuous. Petri Redelinghuys, an independent trader, sits on a trading floor where all his colleagues are under 30. Given the way traders were portrayed in Martin Scorsese's 2013 film, one might expect Redelinghuys and his peers to be wearing tailored suits and spending their free time comparing the exclusivity of the paper on which their business cards are printed.In fact, says Redelinghuys, they "wear shorts and are all about trading. There's no extravagance, the parking lot isn't packed with supercars. They might go out on the weekend, but during the week they're incredibly disciplined." He says most independent traders unders...
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