Leveraged Buyout (LBO): How Private Equity Actually Buys Companies
An LBO uses equity + significant debt to acquire a company. Here's the capital structure, return drivers, and why LBO math defines PE returns.
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An LBO uses equity + significant debt to acquire a company. Here's the capital structure, return drivers, and why LBO math defines PE returns.
PE firms use EBITDA multiples, quality-of-earnings analysis, and operational diligence. Here are the 2026 benchmarks by industry and the actual framework firms use.
Exits create the cash VCs return to LPs. Here are the five real exit paths, 2026 market conditions, and what each implies for founder and employee outcomes.
An ESOP is the pool of options set aside for employees. Here's how vesting, cliff, exercise, 409A, ISO vs NSO, and exit economics really work.
Burn rate and runway are the two most important numbers in any startup. Here's how to calculate them cleanly — and why 'default alive' matters in 2026.
Sequoia, Benchmark, Andreessen Horowitz, Accel, Greylock, Founders Fund, Kleiner Perkins, and Index — the 2026 top-tier VC landscape and what each firm owns.