From humble beginnings twenty-five years ago on Wall Street, the leveraged buyout boom has developed into a veritable industry; today, 30 percent of all corporate merger and acquisition activity in the United States is driven by buyout firms, and the sector commands over $2 trillion in leveraged assets. Along with hedge funds and real assets, private equity is now seen as an important alternative investment class, and fundamental changes in corporate control, governance, modern capital markets, institutional investing, and the funding of entrepreneurial pursuits have all been driven by the growth and evolution of the private equity sector.

At this event, leading financial economists as well as the sector’s top practitioners will offer a detailed evaluation of the private equity sector, noting important historical trends and episodes, and offering perspective on future dynamics. Key questions to be considered include: Why did the private equity sector develop as it did in the 1980s and how has it evolved? What are the major criticisms of the buyout sector, and how valid are they? What changes in governance and capital markets have resulted, and when does the private equity model make sense? How has private equity developed in Europe and Asia in comparison to the United States? To what extent should regulatory bodies become involved in private equity? What can we expect in the future in terms of the private equity sector?