Jefferies says Carter McIntosh's death being 'twisted' after possible overdose

Carter McIntosh, the 28-year-old associate on Jefferies' Dallas telecoms media and telecommunications team who died last month, may have died as a result of a drug overdose. Jefferies says junior bankers and members of the media should stop twisting his death to support their own agendas.

Get Morning Coffee ☕ in your inbox. Sign up here.

The New York Post reported on Friday that police found 'drug paraphernalia at the scene' of McIntosh's death, including a rolled up dollar bill and a white powdery substance. They are reportedly looking into an alleged "history of illicit drug use," although the drug in question may simply be crushed Adderall: McIntosh's father said his son was taking medication for attention deficit disorder. 

Suggestions that McIntosh died of a drug overdose haven't quashed claims that he was overworked. The Post claims to have spoken to colleagues of McIntosh who said his hours were unsustainable and that senior bankers on the TMT team are "kind of ruthless."

Jefferies declined to comment for this article. However, a spokesperson told the Post: “This wild speculation needs to end. These statements are simply false. We believe that people are using this tragic incident and twisting it for their own purposes.”

Earlier this month, Jefferies CEO Richard Handler condemned the "venom and negativity" surrounding McIntosh's death. "We cannot let negativity win the day," declared Handler, condemning the "social media frenzy" about McIntosh's alleged long working hours. Junior bankers overloaded with work or sad about McIntosh's passing should "always feel free to reach out to us or any of our highly capable senior leaders," Handler added.  

The New York Post's unnamed sources told the Post McIntosh was on a "difficult team" and that junior colleagues had raised concerns about long hours to management weeks before his death.

Last week, there were claims that a junior at PJT emptied a bowl of noodles over the head of an MD who shouted at him. They turned out to be false. 

 Have a confidential story, tip, or comment you’d like to share? Contact: +44 7537 182250 (SMS, WhatsApp or voicemail). Telegram: @SarahButcher. Click here to fill in our anonymous form, or email editortips@efinancialcareers.com. Signal also available.

Bear with us if you leave a comment at the bottom of this article: all our comments are moderated by human beings. Sometimes these humans might be asleep, or away from their desks, so it may take a while for your comment to appear. Eventually it will – unless it’s offensive or libellous (in which case it won’t.)