This course is about understanding private equity (PE)—an investment strategy where investors buy entire companies, improve them, and sell them for profit. You’ll learn the fundamentals of how PE works, from leveraged buyouts and growth equity to venture capital and distressed investing. The course also explains the major players, fee structures, risks (like illiquidity and leverage), and how regular investors can gain exposure through public firms, platforms, or funds. Along the way, it highlights the principles that make PE powerful—active ownership, long-term focus, and strategic value creation.

Why it’s important: For decades, private equity has been the wealth-building engine of pension funds, endowments, and billionaires, consistently outperforming traditional markets. While access is often limited, the lessons from PE—thinking like an owner, leveraging capital wisely, and focusing on long-term growth—can be applied to any investing strategy. By understanding private equity, you gain insight into how global capital moves, how companies are transformed, and how you can apply the same mindset to build lasting wealth.