Private Equity Experience

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Is AI Really Reinventing Private Equity? The $885M Aldaron Bet

2026-10-2236:06

A new private equity firm has raised $885 million with a bold proposition: instead of relying primarily on cost-cutting and financial engineering, embed AI engineers directly into portfolio companies to drive growth. It's called Aldaron, and its founders come from Palantir and the Carlyle Group. The firm's first acquisition is Oak Point Partners, a business that specializes in finding and monetizing overlooked assets. But is this genuinely a new model for private equity — or the same old PE...

LIV Golf and Leslie’s Filed Chapter 11. Here’s What Bankruptcy Actually Means

2026-10-0839:45

Two companies we previously dissected on Private Equity Experience have now filed Chapter 11: LIV Golf and Leslie’s Poolmart. Same bankruptcy chapter. Very different businesses — and very different reasons for ending up there. In this episode, Emily Sander, Ed Barton, and Rory Liebhart revisit both cases to explain what Chapter 11 actually means in practical business terms. They unpack why bankruptcy doesn’t necessarily mean a company has failed or is shutting down, how a prepackaged bankru...

Barbarians at the Gate Movie Watch-Along: The Ultimate LBO Battle

2026-08-2001:49:17

Grab your popcorn! In this special inaugural watch-along episode of the Private Equity Experience Podcast, hosts Emily Sander, Ed Barton, and Rory Liebhart watch and react in real-time to the 1993 financial classic, Barbarians at the Gate. Based on the legendary 1988 leveraged buyout (LBO) of RJR Nabisco, this movie details the greed, corporate excess, high-stakes boardroom warfare, and private equity maneuvering between CEO F. Ross Johnson and KKR's Henry Kravis.Ed, Rory, and Emily pro...

Trapped Capital: The $348 Billion "Zombie Fund" Crisis in Private Equity

2026-08-0637:19

What happens when a private equity fund reaches the end of its 10-year lifespan and can't sell its assets? Welcome to the era of Zombie Funds. In Episode 40 of the Private Equity Experience Podcast, hosts Emily Sander, Ed Barton, and Rory Liebhart break down the alarming $348 billion backlog of net asset value trapped in aging PE funds past their standard 10-year expiration date. The team examines why private equity firms are holding assets longer than ever, how frozen M&A markets affe...

What Everyone's Asking About Private Equity Right Now

2026-07-1636:46

In Episode 39 of the Private Equity Experience Podcast, the hosts answer listener questions and discuss the biggest topics shaping today's Private Equity landscape. From AI and recession concerns to valuation trends, venture capital changes, and investment strategies, they break down complex topics into practical insights anyone can understand. The conversation also reflects on what listeners have learned from the podcast, why Private Equity is becoming more relevant to business leaders, and ...

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