Ivy League graduates Mason Clarke and Clay Nelson attracted widespread attention after appearing in an Interview Magazine feature titled The Finest Boys of Finance. What they may not have anticipated, however, were the consequences.
The two Goldman Sachs junior bankers have come under scrutiny after the feature highlighted their lifestyle and spending habits. According to reports, the publicity did not sit well with the investment bank, which reportedly viewed the interviews as embarrassing and unauthorised.
‘If these analysts didn’t get approval, then that’s a violation of the firm’s policy,’ an unnamed Wall Streeter said to The Post. ‘The policies are clear: it’s about checking with people who might have better judgment.’
Tony Fratto, a spokesperson for Goldman Sachs, declined to comment on the potential consequences Clarke and Nelson may face. However, he confirmed that the interviews had not been approved internally.
‘Goldman Sachs media relations did not approve these interviews,’ Fratto said.
At minimum, the analysts could face disciplinary action. If senior figures within the firm view the publicity as damaging, more serious consequences such as suspension or termination cannot be ruled out.
Inside the Lifestyle of Wall Street’s ‘Finest Boys of Finance’
In the Interview Magazine feature, the young bankers were asked about everything from their work schedules to their favourite restaurants and nightlife spots in Manhattan. Nelson, a 25-year-old equities sales and trading associate, said he enjoys dining at places such as L’Artusi, Semma and Don Angie and often heads out to bars including People’s, BOOM at The Standard Hotel and Paul’s Casablanca. His drink of choice, he said, is a ‘dirty vodka martini’, while his most unnecessary purchase was ‘$3k on a Moncler jacket I definitely didn’t need’.
Clarke, a 24-year-old investment banking analyst advising film, music and hospitality companies, described a more low-key routine. He said he prefers home-cooked meals but enjoys Italian and sushi restaurants around New York, and tends to head home after work to recharge rather than stay out late. Asked about the pressures of the job, Clarke said he sleeps five to six hours on a good night and joked that his breaking point usually comes ‘when my Excel freezes at 3 AM’. When asked whether he had ever cried at work, his answer was simple: ‘No.’
Other participants offered similar glimpses into the lifestyle of young finance professionals in New York. Doherty, who works in foreign exchange sales and trading, said he enjoys restaurants such as Monkey Bar, The Odeon and Soothr, and often goes for a dirty vodka martini with extra olives. Johnson, a financial services data, technology and AI analyst, said he prefers an old fashioned or Guinness and likes going out to venues including Damballa, Elsewhere and Brooklyn Storehouse. When asked the same question about workplace pressure, Johnson admitted that earlier in his career he sometimes took criticism personally but now tries to treat feedback more constructively.
A Rage-Bait Feature?
Not everyone was impressed with the interview itself. Some readers criticised the feature, with several social media users describing it as a ‘rage-bait’ piece designed to provoke reactions rather than provide meaningful insight.
Others questioned Interview Magazine’s decision to publish the spread at all. On social media, some commenters suggested the piece read more like satire, while others argued it should be removed entirely.
‘Forcing finance bros on us is a sign of societal collapse,’ one user wrote under an Instagram post promoting the feature. Another commenter added: ‘Sorry [Interview Mag] but I couldn’t care less what some washed-up frat boys in finance think.’
For Clarke and Nelson in particular, what initially appeared to be a harmless profile has now become a reputational headache. With Goldman Sachs reportedly unhappy about the publicity, the two analysts may now be left waiting to see whether the firm will take disciplinary action.
For now, the only certainty is that the unexpected attention has placed the young bankers firmly in the spotlight, and not necessarily in the way they intended.