On this podcast we are going to take a look at bankruptcy. More specifically, what does it mean for a company to go bankrupt, and how is it applied in its various forms? We’ll also analyze the recent Sears bankruptcy – what went wrong and what the company’s future holds.

On today’s podcast we’ll be covering the demise of America's favorite toy store, Toys "R" Us. We’ll take a look at private equity’s role in the acquisition and liquidation of the company. What factors contributed to the failure of the world’s largest toy retailer? How could Toys "R" Us have prevented this fate? And what lessons can the private equity industry learn to avoid making the same mistakes in the future?

“Am considering taking Tesla private at $420. Funding Secured.” Those nine words sent Wall Street into a frenzy, shot Tesla’s stock price up 11%, and eventually resulted in an SEC lawsuit that cost Elon Musk $20M and his role as chairman. Tesla has always been a popular stock to talk about, but on August 7th, it truly dominated Wall Street.

As we know now, there are no immediate plans to take Tesla private. But it’s worth it to study the potential ramifications of doing so. What would the effects of taking Tesla private be? And would it be a good decision for the company to go private?

On this episode, we will discuss the increasing influence of private equity in Asia. Private equity investment in Asia has exploded this century, and it has not been restricted to just China. We’ll take a look at where the money is going, the conditions that have precipitated this trend, and where we expect it will head in the future.

On this episode we will take a look at the perception that private equity has with the general public. Is this generally negative perception in fact warranted? Or is it a result of the public’s lack of knowledge of the industry.

We’ll analyze why private equity has the reputation it does, which includes its portrayal in pop culture, and the roles that the most prominent activist investors have played in developing this perception.

We’ll then take a look at the role that private equity played in the 2012 presidential election.

On today’s episode, part two of the review of the book King of Capital, we will dive into the keys to Blackstone’s success over the decades. How did the firm, which was founded only 33 year ago, reach the top of the mountain? What is it about Steve Schwarzman that made his vision and dreams become a reality?

This episode is a review of the book King of Capital: The Remarkable Rise, Fall, and Rise Again of Steve Schwarzman and Blackstone, by David Carey and John E Morris. It’s part one of a two part series that will cover the book.

In part one I will provide a general history of Blackstone, from its early days as an M&A firm struggling to close its first fund, to its glory days of its IPO and its status as the world’s largest alternative investment firm. I will touch on the backgrounds of its founders, Peter Peterson and Steve Schwarzman, including the events that led them to found The Blackstone Group. We will also focus on the private equity industry as a whole, and how it has evolved since the 1980s.

On today’s episode, real estate investment trusts, or REITs for short. What is a REIT, why have REITs grown in popularity over the past decade, what are some benefits and drawbacks of REITs, and how are REITs implemented in a common private equity fund.

We will cover all of that and more.

On today’s episode, promote allocations (or carried interest). What are promote allocations, why are promote allocations so popular, and how are they applied in a typical private equity fund.

We’ll cover all of that, and more.

On today’s episode, promote allocations (or carried interest). What are promote allocations, why are promote allocations so popular, and how are they applied in a typical private equity fund.

We’ll cover all of that, and more.