When starting out on this piece the question I was tasked to answer was ‘Is Private Equity really private?’ but only the lightest touch of research was enough to say quite categorically that the answer to that questions is no.
Pandora’s Box is open, and everyone wants a peek. Deal with it.
Yes, there is always something comforting in sitting in hidden corners, plying your trade without being exposed to public scrutiny. And no, that is not to say that any of those dealings are in anyway shady or anything less than solid, well-intentioned business practices, however that is to say that like it or not, those strategies are being examined and publicised internationally by anyone with an inclination to do so.
So the real questions that need to be answered are ‘How will this affect PE as an industry?’ and ‘How will this affect your business model and strategy, if at all?’
