Explore the issues
Find more information on the issues deeply affected by private equity investments:
ACLU asks Endeavour Capital to exit for-profit bail business
In early August, the American Civil Liberties Union’s (ACLU’s) Campaign for Smart Justice sent a letter to private equity firm Endeavour Capital asking the firm to exit its investment in Aladdin Bail Bonds and Seaview Insurance. Text of the letter…
Endeavour Capital Performance Lags Peers
(Full report available here) Endeavour Capital is a Portland, Oregon-based private equity manager with investments focused on the Western US. While some of Endeavour Capital’s early funds were strong performers, the private equity firm has struggled to keep up…
Fact Sheet: Private equity-owned firms dominate prison and detention services
(Fact sheet available here) A handful of private equity firms, drawing on capital from pension funds, foundations, endowments, insurance companies, and other institutional investors have invested heavily in companies providing services to prisons, jails, and detention facilities around the…
Washington Post: ‘A way of monetizing poor people’: How private equity firms make money offering loans to cash-strapped Americans
Earlier this week, the Washington Post published a long investigative piece on private equity firm Warburg Pincus’ investment in Mariner Finance, a subprime installment lender: “Mass-mailing checks to strangers might seem like risky business, but Mariner Finance occupies a…
Toys “R” Us employees visit KKR, Bain Capital, Vornado offices, draw media attention
Last Monday, dozens of Toys “R” Us employees from around the country visited KKR, Bain Capital, and Vornado’s offices in New York City. Private equity firms KKR and Bain Capital and real estate firm Vornado took $464…
KKR, Bain Capital, Vornado repeatedly rewarded themselves for adding debt to Toys “R” Us
Retail chain Toys “R” Us recently began liquidation, closing 800 stores and laying off 33,000 employees.[i] Toys “R” Us collapsed under more than $5 billion in debt piled on by private equity firms KKR and Bain Capital and…
Toys “R” Us workers call on KKR, Bain Capital, Vornado to pay severance out of $470 million in monitoring fees, interest
Private equity firms KKR and Bain Capital, and real estate firm Vornado Realty Trust last year took retailer Toys “R” Us into bankruptcy. The retailer recently announced it is liquidating, closing all of its stores and laying off its…
Poor student outcomes at private equity-owned for-profit colleges
From report “Private equity’s failing grade: Private equity investment in for-profit colleges” (Written jointly by Private Equity Stakeholder Project and Americans for Financial Reform) Like the for-profit college industry more generally, many private equity-owned for profit colleges have…
Deceptive practices by private equity-owned for-profit colleges
From report “Private equity’s failing grade: Private equity investment in for-profit colleges” (Written jointly by Private Equity Stakeholder Project and Americans for Financial Reform) Multiple for-profit colleges owned by private equity firms have reached settlements with state and…
