Well, if you’ve read my previous blog entitled “EQUITY of EVIL – The Controversial Theme”, you’ll know that I strive for a position of neutrality on controversial issues. With all the risk-taking I’ve done in my career, I’ve found some comfort in hiding behind that position at the appropriate time. It’s probably the reason I’ve become an Independent… to avoid the debate and controversy often associated with declaring oneself a Republican or Democrat.
With all the recent Republican debates that continue to highlight Mitt Romney’s success in the private equity markets, and the perception of “evil-doings”, I’ve received dozens of emails asking about my views on this subject.
http://reflectionsofarationalrepublican.com/2012/01/15/private-equity-a-force-for-good-or-evil/
http://www.nytexaminer.com/2012/01/are-private-equity-firms-evil-doers
http://www.iwf.org/blog/2786680/Are-Private-Equity-Firms-Evil-
EQUITY of EVIL does touch on this view of exploitation by venture capitalists, but it should be recognized and appreciated that private equity investments come in various forms at different stages in the life of a privately held company. My world has focused on the private funding of start-up companies, which strive to bring a new innovative technology to the market that may have otherwise not seen the light of day. Many others focus on later-stage companies, providing growth capital so that they can become significant players in the global economy… which I rely on after we introduce the technology to the market. And there are those who seek out distressed companies, with the goal of either “turning them around” or determining a way to provide some form of return to their investors through a more structured, profitable dissolution of assets. Like many things in our lives, this industry depends on a complex symbiotic relationship of various participants to make the system work as best as possible. There’s no “Right or Wrong”, no “Good, Bad & Ugly”… just opportunistic capitalism on which this country has been built. Entrepreneurism is leadership, vision and persistence… without a guarantee of success.