He said that there was a “deep commitment to intellectual excellence in a bubble”.

We went back through the words:

Deep, don’t underestimate how deep and in the depth lies the apparent arrogance and underlying confidence of investment bankers.

Commitment, they are committed sure to making money and also to bringing something they value to the chaotic world.

Intellectual, they were educated to value this above everything, intellect is what got them there ( I remember someone from another investment bank telling me that they employed people with brains the size of planets) and it’s what is missing in the world. The rest matters but this is the core central pilar.

Excellence, this goes with the commitment, they thrive to excellence in a really inspiring way, they never sit back and get lazy.

Bubble, they do become disconnected from the world that surrounds them and that fails constantly on excellence and intellect.

I found this very helpful. We need them. But not in a bubble.