Thread

1. NegativeK · 1789944184 · focus · HN ↗

   Can someone steelman private equity, please? I'm honestly looking for the upsides (for non-investors) of when PE moves into an industry like medicine and begins buying up businesses that traditionally aren't already large chains.

   I already hear the downsides frequently from someone whose work is directly affected.

   1. tbrownaw · 1789950347 · focus · HN ↗

      > Can someone steelman private equity, please?

      Step back and look at what it fundamentally is.

      Person A has a business they want to sell.

      Person B has a pile of money and thinks that that business is (or can be) a good investment.

      That's it.

      So, what happens if person A is prohibited from selling their business? Are they forced to keep working because they don't have enough other savings to retire on? Do they shut the business down in order to retire? Something else?

      .

      Calls to ban private equity are attempts to play "shoot the messenger".

      1. sandeepkd · 1789952235 · focus · HN ↗

         May be categorizing the different private equities can be helpful here. A PE interested and invested for growth is always the best outcome. A PE only looking to salvage and squeeze is that gives the bad branding to PE.

         1. TylerE · 1789954872 · focus · HN ↗

            Why does everything have to be obsessed with growth? Especially with practically every (first world, at least) country having a birth rate well below replacement.

            1. lotsofpulp · 1789956924 · focus · HN ↗

               Because everyone promised themselves a lot of benefits in old age that they want someone else to provide them.
            2. nradov · 1789960301 · focus · HN ↗

               Not all businesses are obsessed with growth. Many mature businesses are managed for value rather than growth and focus on returning profits to shareholders through dividends or stock buybacks.

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