The Wall Street Ecosystem: An Insider’s Account of Its Hidden Cost to America. By Johnson Choi in San Francisco on January 24 2026

華爾街生態圈：一位內部人士揭秘其對美國的隱性成本. 作者: 蔡永強. 2026年1月24日

For thirty years, I was a cog in the vast machinery of Wall Street. A decade ago, I stepped away, gaining the perspective of an outsider with an insider’s past.

👉 This view compelled me to write an article entitled, “Don’t Blame China! How Greedy Wall Street Destroyed American Industries—and America in the Process.”

👉 https://johnsonwkchoi.com/2026/01/24/dont-blame-china-how-greedy-wall-street-destroyed-american-industries-and-america-in-the-process-by-johnson-choi/

My experience revealed a difficult truth: countless professionals enter Wall Street at the ground level. Some climb the ladder to great heights, following a prescribed career path, often unaware of the profound collateral damage their ecosystem inflicts on the nation’s industrial base.

When I speak of the “Wall Street ecosystem,” I refer to a constellation far beyond investment bankers. It includes the major banks, law firms, accounting giants, and insurance companies—a interconnected network employing millions. For decades, this system has been spectacularly efficient at one thing: generating enormous profits for those within it.

My purpose is not to accuse individuals. Most participants are simply optimizing for the system’s primary goal: making money, and lots of it. In that pursuit, the broader consequences for American industry and communities can become invisible.

One of the most telling observations from my tenure is this: the very smartest people I knew—particularly a number of astute Chinese professionals—recognized the extractive nature of this game. They played it, won, and then did something remarkable. The smart ones took their capital and departed, choosing to build and enjoy their lives elsewhere, often in China.

三十年來，我始終是華爾街龐大機器中的一枚齒輪。十年前抽身離去，才得以用過來人的身份獲得旁觀者的視角。

👉 正是這種視角促使我寫下〈別怪中國！貪婪的華爾街如何摧毀美國產業——以及美國自身〉一文。

👉 https://johnsonwkchoi.com/2026/01/24/dont-blame-china-how-greedy-wall-street-destroyed-american-industries-and-america-in-the-process-by-johnson-choi/

我的經歷揭示了一個殘酷真相：無數專業人才從底層進入華爾街。其中有人循著既定職涯階梯攀至巔峰，卻往往未曾察覺這個生態圈對國家工業基礎造成的深遠附帶損傷。

所謂「華爾街生態圈」，遠不止投資銀行家群體。它涵蓋大型銀行、律師事務所、會計業巨頭與保險公司——這張共生網絡雇傭著數百萬人。數十年來，該體系在某一領域展現驚人效能：為圈內成員創造巨額利潤。

我無意指責個人。多數參與者只是順應體系的首要目標：賺錢，且要賺得盆滿缽盈。在追逐過程中，美國產業與社區承受的廣泛後果往往隱沒無形。

任職期間最深刻的體悟是：我認識的那些絕頂聰明之人——特別是若干精明的中國專業人士——早已洞悉這場遊戲的掠奪本質。他們參與博弈、贏得勝利，隨後做出了非凡抉擇。真正睿智之人攜資離場，選擇在別處（常是中國）築建與享受自己的人生。