Top investment bankers at Goldman Sachs will discover this week whether they have won the ultimate prize when the bank announces the results of its partnership elections.

Every two years, Goldman Sachs invites managing directors to join its partnership pool, an elite grouping within the bank that was established following its initial public offering in 1999. The IPO ended a golden era for Goldman Sachs' partners. Before this, private partners had hands-on control over how the business was run and were able to make fortunes by cashing in their stake when Goldman floated.