Jonathan Kaye, a leading banker at Moelis & Company, has resigned following a public altercation during a Pride event in New York. The resignation was confirmed by the company on Monday.

Kaye, who headed the global business services division at Moelis, was placed on leave two weeks ago after a short video clip surfaced on the social media platform X, showing him punching a person in the face.

The New York police confirmed last week that they are investigating Kaye following an assault charge.

The incident occurred after Kaye, who is of the Jewish faith, approached four people with a Palestinian flag and told them they were "on the wrong side." The individuals then reportedly threw liquids at Kaye, leading to a fight.

A spokesperson for Kaye stated that he "feared for his physical safety" when he was surrounded by an "angry mob of agitators," physically attacked, and doused with unknown liquids. These events are not visible in the short video that starts with Kaye's punch. It is unclear when the footage began during the altercation or how it was edited before being uploaded.

The spokesperson added that Kaye had received death threats following the incident and that he "would fully cooperate with the authorities" to clarify the matter and clear his name.

Mr. Kaye has lived peacefully in New York City for a quarter of a century and has no history of physical altercations. His mistake was assuming a non-violent discourse," said the spokesperson.

Kay's resignation marks the end of turbulent weeks for him. Up until the incident, he was one of the highest-ranking bankers at Moelis, having spent two decades on Wall Street. The episode, which was captured on film, occurred on the late evening of Saturday, June 8, in Brooklyn, as he passed by an event celebrating the beginning of LGBTQIA+ Pride Month.

The short video, which was widely shared online, showed Kaye delivering a punch and then walking away.

The incident sparked discussions on industry platforms like Wall Street Oasis, with some commentators defending Kaye and others condemning his behavior.

Kaye joined Moelis in 2013 as Managing Director from Citigroup. He is a graduate of Tufts University and Duke University School of Law. Moelis had previously praised Kaye's leadership qualities, stating that the unit he led was "a recognized global leader that has advised on over 100 transactions in the sector.

Moelis & Company was founded in 2007 by former UBS banker Ken Moelis and is one of the independent advisory firms that have gained prominence in recent years, alongside companies like Centerview and Evercore.

Moelis went public in 2014 and has a market capitalization of approximately 4 billion dollars.