PE ownership criticized for debt-loading, asset stripping and degraded service

The article and interviewee Brendan Ballou characterize PE buyouts as using mostly borrowed money, restructuring for short-term profits, loading debt, sale-leasebacks, and degrading service quality and pricing fairness.

“Private equity firms buy companies with mostly borrowed money, restructure them for short-term profits, and sell them a few years later — often leaving behind more debt, worse service, and bigger prices for customers.”

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