How this job went from the Wall Street equivalent of a used car dealer to the hottest gig for 2026

Getty Images; Alyssa Powell/BI

• As private equity firms hold companies longer, banks are eyeing a moneymaking opportunity.
• JPMorgan stood up a private markets-focused investment banking team, and others are actively hiring.
• Private asset strategies have turned the secondaries banker into one of Wall Street's hottest jobs.

In the world of high finance, the secondary market — selling off pre-owned investments — was once considered Wall Street's version of a used-car lot.