Making partner at Goldman Sachs is basically the corporate equivalent of getting knighted, but with a significantly better paycheck and a lot more stress. Every two years, the "will they or won't they" drama reaches a fever pitch inside 200 West Street. By the time the Goldman Sachs partner list actually drops, usually in a flurry of internal memos and leaked spreadsheets, the financial world stops to see who made the cut.
It’s not just a promotion. Honestly, it’s a membership into a club that has existed since 1869, even though the firm went public decades ago. People think the "partner" title is just a vanity metric now. They’re wrong. Being on that list means you’ve survived a brutal, multi-month "cross-ruffing" process where your peers and bosses pick apart your every trade, deal, and personality trait.
Why the Goldman Sachs Partner List Still Matters in 2026
If you look at the most recent biennial class, the 2024 group, you'll see why the firm is obsessed with this tradition. They named 95 new partners. That was a big jump from the 80 in 2022 and the tiny class of 60 in 2020. CEO David Solomon had been trying to keep the circle small—sorta like a luxury brand protecting its exclusivity—but the "M&A Renaissance" of 2025 and 2026 required more heavy hitters at the top.
The 2024 list was a massive signal of where the money is moving. Nearly 70% of those names came from Global Banking & Markets or Asset & Wealth Management. Basically, if you aren't making money for clients or managing their billions, your chances of seeing your name on that list are slim.
The Real Perks of the List
It's not just about the million-dollar base salary. It’s the "bonus pool." Partners get access to a specific pool of the firm’s profits that regular MDs (Managing Directors) can only dream of. Plus, they get to invest their own money into Goldman’s private equity and hedge funds without paying the usual fees. That is where the real "generational wealth" happens.
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The Names You Need to Know: 2024 Class Breakdown
The most recent Goldman Sachs partner list was notable for its diversity, though the numbers are always a point of contention on Wall Street. Out of the 95 new members, 26 were women. That’s about 27%. It was the largest total number of diverse partners in history, but ironically a slightly lower percentage than the 2022 class.
Here are some of the heavy hitters who moved the needle:
- Rahul Sharma: Based in Menlo Park, he’s a Technology Fellow and the guy leading the AI platform. In a world where every bank is trying to automate their trading desks, he's arguably one of the most important names on the list.
- Lotfi Karoui: The Chief Credit Strategist in New York. If you want to know if the bond market is about to implode, he’s the one the partners call.
- Monique Rollins: The International Treasurer. She basically manages the plumbing of the bank's global liquidity.
- Joe Porter: A software and tech investment banking specialist in San Francisco. He’s been at the center of the recent surge in tech IPOs.
The list is global, but the power still sits in New York. About 66 of the 95 new partners are based in the Americas. London (EMEA) took 21 spots, and Asia Pacific took a modest 8.
The "Cross-Ruffing" Nightmare
You don’t just "get" promoted to partner. You're nominated. Then the "cross-ruffing" begins. This is an old bridge-playing term that Goldman uses for their vetting process.
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Basically, senior partners interview dozens of your colleagues. They don't just ask if you're good at your job—everyone at that level is good. They ask if you’re "Goldman-y" enough. Do you share credit? Do you mentor? Or are you a "lone wolf" who only cares about your own P&L? If you have a reputation for being a jerk to juniors, that’s often a one-way ticket to being passed over.
What Happens if You Don't Make the List?
It’s awkward. You’ve been at the firm for an average of 16 years (that’s the tenure of the 2024 class). You’re a Managing Director. You think it’s your year. Then the memo comes out and your name isn't there.
Many people leave. Headhunters treat the day the Goldman Sachs partner list is released like a feeding frenzy. They call the people who almost made it and offer them C-suite roles at smaller banks or massive packages at private equity firms like Blackstone or Apollo. In fact, many of the most successful people in finance are "Ex-Goldman MDs" who didn't want to wait another two years for the next partner class.
Recent Notable Departures
We've seen some big names leave recently because the path to the top was blocked. Beth Hammack, who many thought was a future CFO, left to lead the Cleveland Fed. Stephanie Cohen, who ran Platform Solutions, moved to Cloudflare. When the partnership is this tight, even superstars sometimes have to move out to move up.
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How to Track the Next Partner Class
The next big reveal happens in late 2026. The firm usually announces the names in November of even-numbered years, with the title becoming official on January 1st of the following year.
If you’re trying to guess who’s next, watch the "MD Class of 2025." Goldman promotes people to Managing Director in odd years. The standouts from that group are the ones who will be fighting for a spot on the 2026 partner list.
Actionable Insights for Career Tracking
- Watch the Revenue: If you are tracking someone’s career, look at their sector. Currently, AI infrastructure and Private Credit are the two biggest "promotion engines" at the firm.
- Diversity Metrics: Goldman is under intense pressure to increase its partner diversity. Expect the 2026 class to push harder on the percentage of women and underrepresented minorities in the top tier.
- The "One Goldman" Strategy: The firm has killed off most of its consumer banking (Marcus) experiments. If you're in a retail-facing role, your chances of making partner are basically zero. The power is back in elite M&A and institutional trading.
Making the Goldman Sachs partner list remains the ultimate "I've arrived" moment in finance. It’s a mix of incredible luck, political maneuvering, and being the best in the world at moving numbers around a screen. For the 400 or so people who hold the title at any given time, it’s a golden ticket that never really expires, even after they leave the firm.