Deal Talk: Interviews with Private Equity Leaders

Steve Klinsky has been in private equity since before it was an industry. He co-founded Goldman Sachs' first buyout group in 1981, later had a front-row seat at the famous RJR Nabisco deal and, in 1999, started New Mountain Capital by rejecting the then-prevalent debt-heavy style of dealmaking. Today, the firm manages $60bn, has a negligible loss rate and recently closed a record fund against...

This edition of Deal Talk features a conversation with Hemant Taneja, CEO of General Catalyst, one of the world’s most prominent venture firms with more than $40 billion in assets under management and a portfolio of over 800 companies, including Stripe, Airbnb, Canva and Snap. Taneja’s background is notable: born in Delhi and raised in Boston from the age of 15, he went on to earn five degrees fro...

Bryan Taylor has been investing in technology for over 25 years, the last six years at Advent as Managing Partner. He’s been involved in a number of major transactions, such as one involving Wiz, a leading cloud security company, and McAfee, a global provider of antivirus and cybersecurity solutions. Boston-based Advent is a powerhouse of private equity. It’s been in the industry for more than 35...

Azeem Azhar is an investor, entrepreneur, best-selling author and creator of Exponential View, a leading newsletter and podcast on technology’s future. Known for spotting emerging technology like DeepSeek, he’s been at the forefront of tech’s impact on society. His work has appeared in the Financial Times, New York Times, MIT Technology Review and more. In this conversation, Azeem joins Mike O’Sul...

Nic Humphries is one of Europe’s most prolific technology investors and the Senior Partner and Executive Chairman of Hg — a specialist in enterprise software with over $75 billion in assets under management and a portfolio of more than 50 companies. Nic became part of Hg in 2001, where he also served as CEO for ten years before assuming the role of Chairman in 2017. In an interview with Steffen Pa...

Founded in 1985, Permira has invested around €75 billion in hundreds of businesses worldwide from a platform that spans large-cap private equity, growth equity and credit strategies. Brian and Dipan have played key roles in expanding the firm’s global presence and diversifying its investment strategies. In their conversation with Steffen, they shared insights into their transition to co-leadership...

Robert F. Smith  is the Founder, Chairman and CEO of  Vista Equity Partners , an investment firm that specialises in enterprise software. Originally from Colorado, Smith began his career as an engineer before moving into finance, where he developed a focus on the tech industry. Under Smith's leadership, Vista Equity Partners has grown significantly, currently managing over $100 billion in assets....

Hugh MacArthur is the Chairman of Bain & Company’s Global Private Equity Practice, which he helped establish over 25 years ago.  With a wealth of experience advising private equity funds worldwide, he has been involved in hundreds of projects focusing on deals, strategy and operations.  A recognised thought leader, Hugh is also the host of “ Dry Powder: The Private Equity Podcast ”, dedicated...

In this Deal Talk conversation, Steffen Pauls, Moonfare’s founder and co-CEO, and Mike O’Sullivan, chief economist, explore the current technological revolution that promises to surpass the internet and the smartphone. Is this all just hype, or the dawn of a new era? Drawing parallels with the early 2000s internet bubble, the pair provided insights into the future trajectory of AI, addressing whet...

The seasoned private equity dealmaker joined Steffen Pauls, Moonfare’s Founder and CEO, in another edition of the Deal Talk interviews. Christian Sinding is the CEO and Managing Partner of EQT, one of the largest private equity firms globally. With over 25 years of experience, Sinding has been instrumental in driving EQT's growth and expansion, focusing on sustainability and long-term value cr...

The iconic private equity leader was the guest of our first Deal Talk in 2024, hosted by Steffen Pauls, Moonfare’s co-CEO and Founder. David Rubenstein is the Co-Founder and Co-Chairman of Carlyle, one of the world’s largest and most successful private investment firms. Established in 1987, Carlyle now manages $382 billion from 28 offices around the world. Rubenstein's career spans law, govern...

In conversation with Moonfare, General David Petraeus, the former Director of the CIA and decorated US Army leader (Ret.), spoke about current geopolitical frictions, economic uncertainty, the implications of artificial intelligence and more. Now serving as a Partner at KKR and Chairman of the KKR Global Institute, General Petraeus recently joined us for a macro-themed episode of our Deal Talk ser...

Søren Vestergaard-Poulsen was the guest of our 12th edition of the Deal Talk series, in which Moonfare’s CEO and founder, Steffen Pauls, talks to some of the world’s most prominent names in private equity dealmaking. Søren, who joined CVC in 1998, is a managing partner and co-chairs CVC's private equity board and oversees private equity activities in Greece and the Nordics. He plays a pivotal...

Dipanjan ‘DJ’ Deb, Co-Founder and CEO at  Francisco Partners , joined Moonfare’s Co-CEO, Lorenz Jüngling, for the latest episode of the Deal Talk series — our regular fireside chats with leading global private equity dealmakers. Based in San Francisco, Dipanjan ‘DJ’ Deb leads one of the most active and largest technology-focused investment firms in the world. To date, Francisco Partners has invest...

Moonfare’s founder and CEO, Steffen Pauls, hosted Henry Kravis, Co-Founder and Co-Executive Chairman of KKR and one of the most influential people in the private equity industry. Kravis talked about the power of curiosity, showing courage in the face of uncertainty, lessons learned from past crises, his views on investing in the current economic climate and much more.

How has Motive’s founding partner managed the transition from blockchain entrepreneur to signing off equity cheques for fintech investments? And what impact does she think high interest rates and trends such as AI will have on the space? Subject to eligibility, capital at risk.

In the wake of SVB’s sudden fall, how does Carlyle’s Head of Global Research assess its impact on the private equity industry? What is the focus now for companies in an environment of rising rates, and what opportunities could this create for patient investors? Subject to eligibility, capital at risk.

How does data analytics impact the Insight Partners’ managing director’s decision-making process, and in his eyes, what makes for a good entrepreneur? This episode was recorded on 9 November 2022. Subject to eligibility, capital at risk.

What does the Hg CEO think is the key function when it comes to tech investing? What does he make of the current macro environment? And how can outside parties evaluate PE funds? This episode was recorded on October 21, 2022. Subject to eligibility, capital at risk.

Why does the Co-Founder of General Catalyst think his firm’s scale will help it during the tough VC market? And why is sticking with companies for longer vital when it comes to value creation? This episode was recorded on 29 September 2022. Subject to eligibility, capital at risk.

Why is the Khosla Ventures founder unphased by taking on a larger probability of failure with some of his investments? And what are the ‘unfair advantages’ he seeks out in potential portfolio companies? This episode was recorded on 15 September 2021. Subject to eligibility, capital at risk.

Why does Permira’s managing partner think private markets investors need to shift from risk-aversion behaviour to an upside-optionality mindset? And how does the private company governance model hold the edge over public ones when it comes to value creation? This episode was recorded on 18 May 2021. Subject to eligibility, capital at risk.

How does the Founders Fund partner and COO think that the firm’s agnostic approach has helped its success? And how does concentrating capital into specific investments such as SpaceX and Stripe feed into that? This episode was recorded on April 22, 2021. Subject to elibility, capital at risk.

Why does the EQT Partner and CO-Head of EQT Group Private Equity Advisory team count listening to a diverse range of opinions as a key for success? And how does he manage investing across different economic cycles? This episode was recorded on 25 March 2021. Subject to eligibility, capital at risk.

Why does KKR’s Head of EMEA think private markets can outperform its peers in the event of market dislocation? And what is the implication of the huge amount of dry power investors have to deploy? This episode was recorded on 25 February 2021. Subject to eligibility, capital at risk.