Читать книгу Investment Banking For Dummies - Matthew Krantz - Страница 12

If you’re like most people, you probably figure investment banking got its start in a towering office skyscraper in New York City. But the real story of the origin of investment banking is far less metropolitan, yet arguably even more interesting. Investment banking traces its roots to the age of kings and queens. Many of the most commonly used financial instruments trace their origins to centuries ago when bankers navigated the edicts of rulers and, believe it or not, religious leaders. If you’re interested in the very early days of investment banking, check out the appendix for a quick history lesson.

But for now, just know that investment banking is, at its very core, pretty straightforward. Investment banking is a method of controlling the flow of money. The goal of investment banking is channeling cash from investors looking for returns into the hands of entrepreneurs and business builders who are long on ideas, but short on bucks.

Investment bankers raise money from investors, by selling securities, and then transferring that money to people who need cash to start businesses, build buildings, run cities, or bring other costly projects to reality.

There are many aspects of investment banking that muddy this fundamental purpose. But in the end, investment bankers simply find opportunities to unlock the value of companies or ideas, create businesses, or route money from being idle to having a productive purpose. (In Chapter 2, you discover the purpose of investment banking.)