Behind the Money Co-creators Mickey Down & Konrad Kay on ‘Industry’
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Mar 4, 2026 
Konrad Kay, a former trader turned TV writer, and Mickey Down, a writer with finance experience, chat about creating Industry. They describe turning junior-banker life into drama. They explain borrowing real scandals like Wirecard, weaving macro trends such as meme stocks and ESG, and adding a journalistic investigative thread. They also discuss accuracy, class gatekeeping, and cameo Easter eggs.
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Banks Recognize Themselves In Pierpoint
- Finance professionals often project themselves into characters; Pierpoint is a composite of many banks and cultures are more homogenous than institutions admit.
- The creators prioritized authentic jargon and cadence to capture trading‑floor atmosphere.
Real Bankers Reacted With Praise And Pushback
- The creators received pushback from real finance figures, including angry messages and HR calls asking to remove mentions.
- At the same time, famous hedge fund managers praised technical accuracy, like checking Harper's trading math.
Use Consultants For Technical Financial Accuracy
- Rely on consultants to keep financial detail credible when writers are removed from day‑to‑day markets.
- Industry used high‑level banking consultants because the creators had been out of banking for 15 years.