Freakonomics co-author Stephen J. Dubner uncovers the hidden side of everything. Why is it safer to fly in an airplane than drive a car? How do we decide whom to marry? Why is the media so full of bad news? Also: things you never knew you wanted to know about wolves, bananas, pollution, search engines, and the quirks of human behavior. Join the Freakonomics Radio Plus membership program for weekly member-only episodes of Freakonomics Radio. You’ll also get every show in our network without ads. To sign up, visit our show page on Apple Podcasts or go to freakonomics.com/plus.
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episode 565: 565. Are Private Equity Firms Plundering the U.S. Economy?
They say they make companies more efficient through savvy management. Critics say they bend the rules to enrich themselves at the expense of consumers and employees. Can they both be right? (Probably not.)
RESOURCES:
- Plunder: Private Equity's Plan to Pillage America, by Brendan Ballou (2023).
- Two and Twenty: How the Masters of Private Equity Always Win, by Sachin Khajuria (2022).
- “The Economic Effects of Private Equity Buyouts,” by Steven J. Davis, John Haltiwanger, Kyle Handley, Ben Lipsius, Josh Lerner, and Javier Miranda (SSRN, 2019).
- "In Silicon Valley, Even Mobile Homes Are Getting Too Pricey for Longtime Residents," by Tracy Lien (Los Angeles Times, 2017).
EXTRAS:
- "Should You Trust Private Equity to Take Care of Your Dog?" by Freakonomics Radio (2023).
- "Mobile Home Parks," by The Economics of Everyday Things (2023).
- "The Secret Life of a C.E.O.," series by Freakonomics Radio (2018).
- "Extra: David Rubenstein Full Interview," by Freakonomics Radio (2018).