At a Glance
- Industry season 4 premiered on January 11, continuing its exploration of London’s finance world
- Creators Konrad Kay and Mickey Down are former investment bankers who draw from real experiences
- The fictional Pierpoint & Co. represents an amalgamation of prestigious London banks
- Why it matters: Viewers get an authentic look inside high-stakes banking culture through the eyes of industry insiders
The HBO drama Industry has captivated audiences with its unflinching portrayal of London’s cutthroat banking world. Created by former bankers Konrad Kay and Mickey Down, the series premiered in November 2020 and reached new heights during its third season in August 2024. Season 4 arrived on January 11, continuing to blur the lines between fiction and reality in international finance.
The Real Banking Roots Behind the Fiction
Kay and Down’s personal experiences form the backbone of Industry. Both creators spent years working in investment banking before transitioning to television, bringing authentic details to every aspect of the show.
“Coming from that world [of banking], we wanted people who watched in that world to be like, ‘OK, they are getting a lot of it right,'” Kay told the Radio Times in November 2020.
Their commitment to authenticity extends beyond surface-level details. Down drew directly from his own experience in mergers and acquisitions, the same department where character Gus works in the series premiere.
“It’s the quieter, nocturnal culture, mergers, and acquisitions part of the business,” Down explained to Newsweek in November 2020.
Building Pierpoint From Real Banks
The fictional Pierpoint & Co. doesn’t represent any single real institution. Instead, it embodies the atmosphere and culture of London’s most prestigious financial firms.
Key elements that make Pierpoint feel authentic:
- Trading floor chaos with cluttered desks and overflowing bins
- Accurate banking jargon and dialogue cadence
- Realistic power dynamics between junior and senior staff
- Modern banking practices blended with 2010s-era experiences
“It was very important to me and Mickey that a finance person could watch this show,” Kay told Newsweek. “Even if it is like a tiny percentage of the audience they can be like, ‘Oh wow, slightly sensationalized, a little bit heightened, but the essence of the world is almost totally correct.'”
The Evolution From Real to Reel
Kay and Down left banking nearly a decade before creating Industry, requiring them to bridge the gap between their experiences and current practices. They blend authentic details from their early 2010s banking careers with modern elements to reflect today’s financial landscape.
“Me and Mickey were in the city almost seven or eight years ago, and obviously … there’s been a lot of modernisation,” Kay acknowledged.
The creators’ inspiration struck when they realized no contemporary stories captured the investment banking world they knew. Down told the Los Angeles Times in July 2022 that they were always “suckers” for books and movies about cutthroat finance.
“We thought, ‘Why isn’t there a modern version of this?’ But it was only when we started writing from the perspective of the people at the bottom that we thought, ‘OK, this actually has a lot to it,'” Down said.
Inside the Authenticity Process
Three consultants integrated into both the writers’ room and production process review every aspect of the show. These current banking professionals ensure dialogue and storylines remain plausible for today’s industry.
“Me and Konrad, we understand how these places work and the cadence of the dialogue – the soundscape and what it looks like and how people behave and their motivations,” Down explained. “But we haven’t been in banking for a decade, so it was good to speak to people who were really in the trenches, from the top end and bottom end.”
The creators’ obsession with accuracy extended to building a nearly functional trading floor set. Kay told Newsweek they replicated the chaotic atmosphere down to the smallest details.
“Trading floors are very dirty places with very busy desks, food everywhere and the bins are always full,” Kay said. “We have friends in the business and a couple of them did a couple of set visits and they just could not believe how real it looked because I mean, we effectively did build an almost fully functional trading floor.”
The Reality Check
Real bankers have found the show’s portrayal uncomfortably accurate, though some elements receive dramatic enhancement. The intense work environment and cutthroat culture reflect genuine industry experiences, while aspects like drug use are heightened for television.
“Me and Mickey were adamant that we wanted to get 100 percent of everything right that we could texturally about the world, you know, the production design, the jargon, the cadence of the language, the way people speak to each other,” Kay told the Radio Times.
Down acknowledged the spectrum of personalities in banking: “There are definitely people who are drug- and sex-obsessed in the City. There are also very ‘boring’ family people who put their head down, are obsessed with their work and nerdy.”
Key Takeaways
Industry succeeds because it comes from authentic experience. Kay and Down transformed their banking backgrounds into compelling television while maintaining the texture and reality of London’s financial world. Their insider perspective, combined with current consultant input, creates a series that both entertains and educates viewers about the high-stakes world of international finance. The show’s fourth season continues this tradition, offering viewers a window into a world few experience firsthand.
