The venture capital industry faces a fundamental crisis where 90% of limited partners shouldn't be investing in the asset class, according to analysis showing median returns barely exceed 8% while top-quartile funds struggle to beat public market equivalents. Miles Dieffenbach, Managing Director of Investments at Carnegie Mellon University, shared this stark assessment on Harry Stebbings' 20VC podcast, drawing from his experience overseeing a $4 billion endowment.

Private markets face historic transformation as traditional institutional fundraising hits multi-year lows while Trump's executive order opens $12.2 trillion retirement market. Major firms like Apollo, Carlyle pivot to retail channels and evergreen funds as geographic shifts accelerate from UK tax exodus to Asia expansion.RetryClaude can make mistakes. Please double-check responses.

TPG delivered outstanding Q2 2025 results with after-tax distributable earnings of $268 million ($0.69 per share), up 26% year-over-year, driven by record-breaking fundraising of $11.3 billion—the second highest quarter in company history.

The Carlyle Group delivered record Q2 2025 Fee-Related Earnings of $323 million (up 18% YoY) and Assets Under Management of $465 billion, while announcing a leadership restructure naming three Co-Presidents. The private equity giant raised full-year FRE growth guidance to 10% from 6% as its diversification into credit and solutions businesses now generates 55% of firm-wide FRE, up from less than 30% two years ago. CEO Harvey Schwartz highlighted the firm's industry-leading ca

Apollo Global Management delivered blockbuster Q2 2025 results with record $627 million in fee-related earnings (22% YoY growth), driven by unprecedented $81 billion in originations and $61 billion in inflows. The alternative asset manager demonstrated the full power of its origination-to-deployment flywheel, achieving record AUM of $840 billion while maintaining robust 350bp spreads over treasuries despite market compression, positioning for accelerated growth.

According to S&P Global Market Intelligence's 2025 US Insurance Investments Market Report, life insurers accelerated their shift toward alternative investments in 2024, with other long-term invested assets and mortgage loans each gaining portfolio share for the fourth consecutive year.

Private equity firms race toward $12T retail market via 401(k) access as Trump admin prepares executive order. Record $260B Q1 credit fundraising amid fee transparency pressure. Vista saves $200M+ refinancing from private to public debt. KKR raises $6.5B for asset-backed deals. 85-92% investors cash out vs. rolling continuation funds.

Erik Hirsch, co-CEO of Hamilton Lane, which manages nearly $1 trillion in private assets, detailed this credit revolution and its implications for both borrowers and investors on Bloomberg's Masters in Business podcast with Barry Ritholtz.

Ares Management Corporation posted second-quarter results that demonstrated resilience amid market disruption, delivering record quarterly fundraising of $26.2 billion and assets under management growth to $572 billion. The alternative investment manager navigated tariff-related volatility that temporarily slowed transaction activity in April and May while successfully integrating its GCP International acquisition, which contributed $103 million in revenues during its first f

Private wealth investors currently allocate just 3-5% to alternatives compared to 20-50% for institutions, representing a massive untapped opportunity that could reshape the entire asset management industry over the next decade. Peter Aliprantis, Partner and Head of Private Wealth Americas at EQT, argues that evergreen structures and improved investor education will drive this transformation.

Blue Owl Capital delivered a record-breaking Q2 2025 performance with $12.1 billion in equity fundraising and $284.1 billion in AUM (up 48% YoY), marking the 17th consecutive quarter of management fee and FRE growth. The alternative asset manager continues aggressive expansion through strategic acquisitions and new product launches, positioning itself at the intersection of AI infrastructure demand and private credit markets while successfully scaling institutional and privat

Credit secondaries surge 70%+ annually as continuation vehicles become mainstream solution for GP-led liquidity needs.

Private markets have exploded into a $13 trillion powerhouse as traditional banking retreats, with private credit alone tripling from $517 billion in 2015 to over $1.7 trillion today. Harvey Schwartz, CEO of Carlyle Group—one of the world's largest private equity firms managing over $450 billion—warns we're in the early days of this financial transformation, with regulators increasingly concerned about systemic risks in this largely untested shadow banking system.

Alan Waxman warns that the financial system faces significant overlooked risks from AI's productivity transition, citing insufficient discussion about job displacement and economic rebalancing as artificial intelligence reshapes entire industries.

Blackstone reported outstanding Q2 2025 results with distributable earnings of $1.6 billion ($1.21/share), up 25% year-over-year, while fee-related earnings surged 31% to $1.5 billion. Assets under management hit a record $1.2 trillion, up 13% YoY, driven by $52 billion in quarterly inflows and strong performance across private credit, infrastructure, and private wealth platforms despite a muted realization environment.

The private credit market is sitting on massive piles of capital while waiting for a significant backlog of deals to emerge once market volatility settles, creating what could be an explosive growth period for direct lenders.

The private equity and venture capital industry faces a fundamental reckoning as the strategies that generated extraordinary returns over the past four decades become increasingly difficult to replicate, according to Tim Sullivan, who recently retired after overseeing Yale University's private market portfolios for 39 years. Sullivan warns that institutions must dramatically lower their return expectations as the industry has become overcrowded, overfunded, and efficiently pr

Mike Dennis discusses how private credit proves resilient despite peak predictions, with middle-market focus offering protection from competition.

Private markets face regulatory crossroads as Trump's 401(k) order promises $12.5T access while Warren scrutinizes $1.7T credit sector. Industry splits on growth outlook with Dimon warning of peaks vs. private credit leaders seeing continued expansion. Major deals include Reckitt's $4.8B sale to Advent.RetryClaude can make mistakes. Please double-check responses.

The private credit market is nowhere near its peak despite recent warnings from major bank executives, and is instead positioned for explosive growth that could see it reach $15 trillion within a decade—matching the size of public credit markets.