Dry Powder: The Private Equity Podcast

The question for investors is not whether AI will boom or bust, but who may be unwittingly subsidizing the buildout.

Bain’s leading macroeconomic expert examines the cracks beneath the surface of the US market and how investors should prepare for post-globalization realities.

If you follow me on LinkedIn, you’ve probably seen some of my weekly musings on the state of the private equity industry. One post from earlier this year struck a particular nerve. Titled “It’s Time to Clean Out the PE Attic,” it began with this observation: “There’s a musty corner in every LP’s private equity portfolio—a collection of tail-end buyout funds that quietly aged past their prime.” That post went somewhat viral nearly five months ago, and the question I’d ask today is whether the attic has gotten any cleaner.
Today on Dry Powder, we’ll strip away the emotions around tariffs and examine the underlying market data. I’ll also discuss whether 2026 could mark a return to exits and dealmaking at scale.

In part two of our interview series, we explore how TA hits the ground running on value creation.

How does TA find the time — and the manpower — to sift through 40,000 companies a year?