Podcasts about pillage america

Host: Ann Luther, League of Women Voters of Maine Production Assistance: Linda Washburn, Joel Mann Democracy Forum: Participatory Democracy, encouraging citizens to take an active role in government and politics. This month: We want to talk about private equity, what is it? Does private equity contribute to wealth and income inequality, erode confidence in shared services and institutions, and undermine faith in capitalism and democracy? Does it always work that way? Has private equity come to Maine? How can Maine protect its people from the worst outcomes? Guest/s: Brendan Ballou, former federal prosecutor and Special Counsel for Private Equity at the U.S. Department of Justice, author of the book, Plunder: Private Equity’s Plan to Pillage America. www.plunderthebook.com/ Hon. Traci Gere, Maine State Representative, (D-Kennebunkport), Housing and Economic Development Committee (Chair). legislature.maine.gov/house/house/MemberProfiles/Details/1408 Chris Noble, Policy Director, Private Equity Stakeholder Project. pestakeholder.org/ Pat Schwebler is Co-Director of the Cooperative Development Institute’s New England Resident-Owned Communities (NEROC) Program. Her background is in real estate, finance, nonprofits, and business management. cdi.coop/rocs/ To learn Amore about this topic: Visit LWVME.org About the host: Ann Luther currently serves as Treasurer of the League of Women Voters of Maine and leads the LWVME Advocacy Team. She served as President of LWVME from 2003 to 2007 and as co-president from 2007-2009. The post Democracy Forum 2/21/25: Private Equity and You first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Private equity is looting America by exploiting vulnerable companies and extracting profits at the expense of workers, communities, and the broader economy. They've been buying up companies in every industry in the U.S. Economy and stripping them for parts. These massive firms have vast holdings across critical industries essential to the health and well-being of everyday people. Some recent examples include private equity's role in education, utilities, housing, and even in the healthcare sector, which led to the closure of hospitals and nursing homes, endangering public health. We thought it would be a good time to revisit this episode from 2023 with Brendan Ballou, a federal prosecutor and the author of Plunder: Private Equity's Plan to Pillage America. In this episode, he explains how we can stop private equity's plan to pillage America. This episode originally aired on July 25, 2023. Brendan Ballou is a federal prosecutor and served as Special Counsel for Private Equity in the Justice Department's Antitrust Division. Previously, he worked in private practice, and before that, in the National Security Division of the Justice Department, where he advised the White House on counterterrorism and other policies. Twitter: @brendanballou Further reading:  Plunder: Private Equity's Plan to Pillage America The Guardian - Slash and burn: is private equity out of control? Website: http://pitchforkeconomics.com Twitter: @PitchforkEcon, @NickHanauer, @civicaction Instagram: @pitchforkeconomics Threads: pitchforkeconomics YouTube: @pitchforkeconomics Substack: The Pitch

Federal prosecutor Brendan Ballou joins to discuss his book “Plunder: Private Equity's Plan to Pillage America”.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Private equity is a simple concept — a PE firm uses some combination of money and debt to buy a company, then makes a profit — but the reality of what happens to the companies that get acquired is anything but. It's everywhere, and it's not going away. In this summer remix, we're talking with Brendan Ballou, author of Plunder: Private Equity's Plan to Pillage America, about how we got here and what happens next.  Links:  Private equity bought out your doctor and bankrupted Toys“R”Us — here's why that matters | The Verge Private equity and mismanagement: Here's what really killed Red Lobster | Fast Company Sony and Apollo send letter expressing interest in $26 billion Paramount buyout | NBC News Plunder: Private Equity's Plan to Pillage America | Brendan Ballou Barbarians at the Gate: The Fall of RJR Nabisco | Bryan Borrough & John Helyar Barnes & Noble is going back to its indie roots to compete with Amazon | The Verge Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Our producers are Kate Cox and Nick Statt. Our editor is Callie Wright. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If you feel like everything from your vet bills to your favorite grocery store chains are getting worse at the exact same moment they're becoming more expensive, there might be a singular explanation: private equity. I dive in with guest Brendan Ballou, author of Plunder: Private Equity's Plan to Pillage America and former special counsel for private equity in the Justice Department—baby's first federal investigation! Disclosure: Brendan Ballou's views are his own, not the views of his employer. Transcripts, show notes, production credits, and more can be found at: https://moneywithkatie.com/private-equity Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

To put it bluntly, private equity is laundering their greed through the good will of healthcare. Brendan Ballou, a federal prosecutor who served as Special Counsel for Private Equity in the Justice Department's Antitrust Division and author of "Plunder: Private Equity's Plan to Pillage America", joins us to talk about how PE has taken over healthcare, and what we can do about it.   Have a story to share?  Tell the FTC. The Federal Trade Commission, the Department of Justice and the Department of Health and Human Services launced a cross-government inquiry on the impact of corporate greed in health care. They want to hear from you. Share you story here: FTC.gov

Brendan Ballou is the author of Plunder: Private Equity's Plan to Pillage America, and he joined Danielle to give her - and the Woke AF Nation - an introductory lesson into the world of private equity, with some real-world examples of impacts it has had on vulnerable members of our society. Of course Danielle asks the big question: is there anything our government can do to stop it?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Space Shot Links- Subscribe to The Space Shot on Substack for emails delivered directly to your inbox. Check it out here (https://thespaceshot.substack.com/p/coming-soon?r=5tgvq&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&utm_source=copy) Let me know if you have any questions, email me at john@thespaceshot.com. You can also call 720-772-7988 if you'd like to ask a question for the show. Send questions, ideas, or comments, and I will be sure to respond to you! Thanks for reaching out! Do me a favor and leave a review for the podcast if you enjoy listening each day. Screenshot your review and send it to @johnmulnix or john@thespaceshot.com and I will send you a Space Shot sticker and a thank you! Episode Links: After Babel (https://jonathanhaidt.substack.com) Books- I forgot to mention it in the episode since the book is experienced more than it is read. Apollo Remastered (https://www.apolloremastered.com)by Andy Saunders is a visual delight. 1000% recommend picking up a copy. "Soviets in Space" (https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/distributed/S/bo184798413.html) by Colin Burgess "Space Craze" (https://www.smithsonianbooks.com/store/aviation-military-history/space-craze-americas-enduring-fascination-with-real-and-imagined-spaceflight/)by Margaret Weitekamp "The Space Shuttle" by Roland Miller (https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/roland-miller/the-space-shuttle/9781648291357/) "Son of Apollo" by Christopher Roosa (https://www.nebraskapress.unl.edu/nebraska/9781496233349/) "The New Guys" by Meredith Bagby (https://www.harpercollins.com/products/the-new-guys-meredith-bagby?variant=41058530328610) "The Map that Changed the World" by Simon Winchester (https://www.harpercollins.com/products/the-map-that-changed-the-world-simon-winchester?variant=32207411019810) "Chasing Venus: The Race to Measure the Heavens" by Andrea Wulf (https://www.andreawulf.com/andrea-wulf/about-chasing-venus-how-science-turned-global-in-the-eighteenth-century-to-be-published-in-the-uk-us.html) "Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business" by Neil Postman (https://www.amazon.com/Amusing-Ourselves-Death-Discourse-Business/dp/014303653X) "Plunder: Private Equity's Plan to Pillage America" by Brendan Ballou (https://www.plunderthebook.com) "Timefulness: How Thinking Like a Geologist Can Help Save the World" (https://press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9780691181202/timefulness)by Marcia Bjornerud "Technopoly: The Surrender of Culture to Technology" by Neil Postman (https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/technopoly-neil-postman/1100623453) "Cobalt Red: How the Blood of the Congo Powers Our Lives" (https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250284297/cobaltred) by Siddarth Kara "Technology and the American Way of War Since 1945" by Thomas G. Mahnken (https://www.amazon.com/Technology-American-Way-Since-1945/dp/023112337X) "The Winged Gospel" by Joseph Corn (https://www.amazon.com/Winged-Gospel-Americas-Romance-Aviation/dp/0801869625) "Wichita: Where Aviation Took Wing" by the Greteman Group (https://wichitaaviationhistory.com/product/wichita-where-aviation-took-wing-book/) "The Arsenal of Democracy" by A.J. Baime (https://www.harpercollins.com/products/the-arsenal-of-democracy-a-j-baime?variant=39935376916514) "Farnsworth's Classical English Style" by Ward Farnsworth (https://www.amazon.com/Farnsworths-Classical-English-Style-Farnsworth/dp/1567926657) "The Practicing Stoic" by Ward Farnsworth (https://www.amazon.com/Practicing-Stoic-Philosophical-Users-Manual/dp/1567926118) "The Daily Stoic" by Ryan Holiday (https://www.thepaintedporch.com/products/ryan4?_pos=3&_sid=0ea9d25aa&_ss=r) "The Daily Dad" by Ryan Holiday (https://www.thepaintedporch.com/products/the-daily-dad-366-meditations-on-parenting-love-and-raising-great-kids-pre-order-release-may-2nd?_pos=1&_sid=519dd7cdf&_ss=r) "Code Red" by Vince Flynn/Kyle Mills (https://www.vinceflynn.com/code-red) "And on that Bombshell" by Richard Porter (https://www.amazon.com/That-Bombshell-Inside-Madness-Genius/dp/1409165078) "Nuts and Bolts" by Roma Agrawal (https://mitpressbookstore.mit.edu/book/9781324021520) "Come Fly with Me: The Rise and Fall of TWA" by Daniel L. Rust and Alan B. Hoffman (https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/distributed/C/bo207659745.html) "Hands of Time" by Rebecca Struthers (https://www.harpercollins.com/products/hands-of-time-rebecca-struthers?variant=40861027598370)

The Private Equity industry is a lightly regulated industry with an increasingly mixed record on both financial returns and its impact on the quality of American jobs and businesses. How can it be shaped to be more of a force for good in Society and to avoid some of its worst tendencies and practices? Brendan Ballou, author of the book Plunder: Private Equity's Plan to Pillage America, offers an authoritative overview of the industry and a comprehensive approach to the reforms needed to shift the industry in a more positive societal impact—the nudges required to change the model not to eliminate it. A Podcast by Tec Sounds. ** If you enjoy this podcast, would you consider leaving a review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes? It takes only a few seconds and greatly helps us get our podcast out to a wider audience. Please subscribe on Apple Podcasts / Spotify / Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. For transcripts and show notes, please go to: https://www.theconsciouscapitalists.com Thank you for your support! Timothy & Raj

DOJ Attorney Brendan Ballou discusses his new book, "Plunder: Private Equity's Plan to Pillage America." Ever wonder why we seem to have fewer airlines, fewer retail stores, fewer drugstores, and the same names keep showing up on businesses from rental agencies to nursing homes to mobile home parks? Why did all those long-lasting businesses fail in the past 15 years? (Hint: it's not all Amazon.'s fault.) Doesn't it seem as though fewer people own their own homes? Who got all that Covid money? And why do there seem to be some astonishingly rich folks around? Join us for a remarkable episode about dramatic shifts in basic industries and in the re-distribution of wealth in America. [Views expressed in the book and this podcast do not necessarily represent those of the Department of Justice.]Plunder, the book (PublicAffairs, 2023):https://www.plunderthebook.com/Thoughts? Comments? Potshots? Contact the show at:https://www.discreetguide.com/podcast-books-shows-tunes-mad-acts/Follow or like us on podomatic.com (it raises our visibility :)https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/books-shows-tunes-mad-actsSupport us on Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/discreetguideJennifer on Post.News:@JenCrittendenJennifer on Twitter:@DiscreetGuideJennifer on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferkcrittenden/Discreet Guide Training:https://training.discreetguide.com/

They say they make companies more efficient through savvy management. Critics say they bend the rules to enrich themselves at the expense of consumers and employees. Can they both be right? (Probably not.) RESOURCES:Plunder: Private Equity's Plan to Pillage America, by Brendan Ballou (2023).Two and Twenty: How the Masters of Private Equity Always Win, by Sachin Khajuria (2022).“The Economic Effects of Private Equity Buyouts,” by Steven J. Davis, John Haltiwanger, Kyle Handley, Ben Lipsius, Josh Lerner, and Javier Miranda (SSRN, 2019)."In Silicon Valley, Even Mobile Homes Are Getting Too Pricey for Longtime Residents," by Tracy Lien (Los Angeles Times, 2017).EXTRAS:"Should You Trust Private Equity to Take Care of Your Dog?" by Freakonomics Radio (2023)."Mobile Home Parks," by The Economics of Everyday Things (2023)."The Secret Life of a C.E.O.," series by Freakonomics Radio (2018)."Extra: David Rubenstein Full Interview," by Freakonomics Radio (2018).

Nowadays, if someone wants to make a lot of money in finance, they don't go and work for investment banks. The real money to be made is at private equity firms. With most of these firms controlling a huge percentage of the country's overall GDP and doing so largely unchecked, is it time to take a hard look at the systems that protect and allow these actors to flourish?? Brendan Ballou is special counsel for the U.S. Department of Justice's Antitrust Division. His book, Plunder: Private Equity's Plan to Pillage America, takes a hard look at the way private equity firms operate and the laws they exploit.  He and Greg discuss what sets private equity firms apart from other financial institutions in America, the ways private equity firms avoid liability when things go wrong, and what reforms are needed to the systems that essentially allowed private equity to become the beast that it is today. *unSILOed Podcast is produced by University FM.*Episode Quotes:Private equity as an institution is unique05:31: Private equity as an institution is unique for three reasons. One is that private equity owners tend to invest for just a few years, so you're talking about a three, five, or seven-year time horizon. Two is that private equity firms tend to load up the companies they buy with a lot of debt and extract a lot of fees. And the magic trick, as you probably know, a lot of these private equity deals is when they load these companies up with debt; for the acquisition, it's the company that holds the debt, not the private equity firm. So if things go badly, it's the company that's on the hook. It's not the private equity owners and investors. And then the third thing, and this is what really interests me as a lawyer, is private equity firms are enormously successful at insulating themselves legally from the consequences of their portfolio company's actions. So, if something goes wrong at a portfolio company, someone is hurt, or an employee is taken advantage of, whatever it happens to be, it's very hard to hold a private equity firm responsible.Is private equity an extreme version of capitalism?03:44:  Private equity is an extreme version of capitalism, for better or for worse...It's not an extreme form of capitalism. It's a deviation or a perversion of capitalism by the specific laws and regulations that we have that incentivize short-term term investing, reliance on debt, and insolation from liability. We've created these legal structures that allow certain people to capture all the upside of our economy if things go well, but walk away if they don't.Short-term gain versus long-term success12:17: The time frame that you've got for an investment changes your perspective on what you're going to do with it, whether you're going to jack up prices for the short term, even if it means that you're going to lose customers for the long term, underinvest in your employees and your innovation, even if it means that you might be scooped by the competition in a few years, and so forth.How are private equity firms compensated?31:00: Private equity firms are compensated on a 2-in-20 model: 2% of the profits above a certain threshold, 20% of the profits above a certain threshold, and 2% of the assets under management every year. The carried interest loophole says that both of those should be treated as capital gains rather than ordinary income, and capital gains are taxed at a lower rate than ordinary income. That's pretty much all the money that a private equity executive typically makes. So, leaders of private equity firms have historically paid a lower tax rate than the firefighters and teachers that they nominally serve.Show Links:Recommended Resources:Other People's Money And How The Bankers Use It by Louis BrandeisThe Modern Corporation and Private PropertyPeter Whoriskey's story on the Carlyle Group for The Washington PostWorth RisesSIFIsGuest Profile:Brendan Ballou on LinkedInBrendan Ballou on X His Work:Plunder: Private Equity's Plan to Pillage America

Private equity is everywhere: emergency rooms, nursing homes, veterinarians, your favorite retailers, and maybe some day your retirement plan. Yet, according to our guest Brendan Ballou, author of Plunder: Private Equity's Plan to Pillage America, few understand what these firms are or how they work. Plunder: Private Equity's Plan to Pillage America  Learned by Being Burned (teachers share how they were burned by sales agents and "trusted" advisors and how they got wise to the 403(b) plan) Meridian Wealth Management 403bwise.org

Today's show is a panel about the merits of private equity. On one side is Sachin Khajuria. a former partner at Apollo and twenty-five-year veteran of the industry, who recently authored “Two and Twenty.” Sachin was a past guest on the show discussing his book and that conversation is replayed in the feed. On the other is Brendan Ballou, a federal prosecutor who serves on the special counsel for private equity in the Justice Department's antitrust division and recently authored “Plunder: Private Equity's Plan to Pillage America,” highlighting controversy and potential flaws in private market investing. Our conversation begins with Sachin's view on private markets as an essential value-additive element of the economy and Brendan's thesis on the inadequacy of the legal structure surrounding the activity. We discuss incentives, investment duration, failed deals, fees, operational effectiveness, legal environment, risk, and broad education about the space. While the titles of their books might suggest a point-counterpoint discussion, the thoughtful nuance Sachin and Brendan bring to the table offer more commonality and food for thought than difference. For full show notes, visit the episode webpage here. Learn More Follow Ted on Twitter at @tseides or LinkedIn Subscribe to the mailing list Access Transcript with Premium Membership

Brendan Ballou is a federal prosecutor and served as Special Counsel for Private Equity in the Justice Department's Antitrust Division. Previously, he worked in private practice, and before that, in the National Security Division of the Justice Department, where he advised the White House on counterterrorism and other policies. He graduated from Columbia University and Stanford Law School. His book, Plunder: Private Equity's Plan to Pillage America, is available now.Advertisers: https://cynomi.com/https://gozynta.com/payments/Do you want the show on your podcast app or the written versions of the stories? Subscribe to the Business of Tech: https://www.businessof.tech/subscribe/Support the show on Patreon: https://patreon.com/mspradio/Want our stuff? Cool Merch? Wear “Why Do We Care?” - Visit https://mspradio.myspreadshop.comFollow us on:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mspradionews/Twitter: https://twitter.com/mspradionews/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mspradio/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/28908079/

Over the last decade, private equity firms wiped out nearly 600,000 jobs in the retail sector by taking over and bankrupting major retailers like Toys R Us and Payless Shoes. But in that same time, private equity also destroyed companies in healthcare, housing, medicine, and many other industries that affect our everyday lives. Today's guest, federal prosecutor Brendan Ballou, explains how we can stop private equity's plan to pillage America. Brendan Ballou is a federal prosecutor and served as Special Counsel for Private Equity in the Justice Department's Antitrust Division. Previously, he worked in private practice, and before that, in the National Security Division of the Justice Department, where he advised the White House on counterterrorism and other policies. Twitter: @brendanballou Plunder: Private Equity's Plan to Pillage America https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/brendan-ballou/plunder/9781541702103 Private Equity is Out of Control and Looting America. This Prosecutor Says We Can Fix It. https://www.ineteconomics.org/perspectives/blog/private-equity-is-out-of-control-and-looting-america-this-prosecutor-says-we-can-fix-it Website: http://pitchforkeconomics.com Twitter: @PitchforkEcon Instagram: @pitchforkeconomics Nick's twitter: @NickHanauer

With a skull and crossbones on the cover, and the title of Plunder: Private Equity's Plan to Pillage America, Brendan Ballou's debut book pulls no punches over the perceived greed and ineptitude of many of America's private equity firms – and the damage they are causing to the economy and society. All the more surprising then that the author is neither a journalist or a retired lawman but very much an active special counsel working for the U.S. Department of Justice. Brendan clearly has a passion for the subject, matched by his deeep knowledge in the field, and his conversation with Russell Napier is as fascinating as it is alarming. Very much worth a listen.For more information on the Advanced Valuation in Financial Markets course mentioned by Russell, please see www.didaskoeducation.org.

Host Reed Galen is joined by Brendan Ballou, a Federal Prosecutor who served as Special Counsel for Private Equity in the Justice Department's Antitrust Division. They discuss the inner-workings of how private equity works, how it's reshaped American business (by raising prices, reducing quality, cutting jobs, and shifting resources from productive to unproductive parts of the economy), and how private equity is allowed to operate with the active support of various arms of the government. If you'd like more from Brendan Ballou, be sure to pick up his new book, Plunder: Private Equity's Plan to Pillage America. If you'd like to ask a question or share a comment with The Lincoln Project, send an email to podcast@lincolnproject.us. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Private equity firms have owned everything from retailers like Payless ShoeSource and Toys R Us to mobile home parks and prison services companies.  Mark Dent interviews Brendan Ballou, author of "Plunder: Private Equity's Plan to Pillage America," about these firms' strategies, their damage to the economy, and the potential for reform. Follow us on social media: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thdspod  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thdspod/  Thank You For Listening to The Hustle Daily Show. Don't forget to hit Subscribe or Follow us on Apple Podcasts so you never miss an episode! If you want this news delivered to your inbox, join millions of others and sign up for The Hustle Daily newsletter, here: https://thehustle.co/email/  Plus! Your engagement matters to us. If you are a fan of the show, be sure to leave us a 5-Star Review on Apple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-hustle-daily-show/id1606449047 (and share your favorite episodes with your friends, clients, and colleagues). “The Hustle Daily Show” is a HubSpot Original Podcast // Brought to you by The HubSpot Podcast Network // Produced by Darren Clarke.

How do private equity firms impact the American economy? And how did they take each industry by storm? Mark Dent interviews Brendan Ballou, author of "Plunder: Private Equity's Plan to Pillage America," about these firms' strategies, their damage to the economy, and the potential for reform. Follow us on social media: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thdspod  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thdspod/  Thank You For Listening to The Hustle Daily Show. Don't forget to hit Subscribe or Follow us on Apple Podcasts so you never miss an episode! If you want this news delivered to your inbox, join millions of others and sign up for The Hustle Daily newsletter, here: https://thehustle.co/email/  Plus! Your engagement matters to us. If you are a fan of the show, be sure to leave us a 5-Star Review on Apple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-hustle-daily-show/id1606449047 (and share your favorite episodes with your friends, clients, and colleagues). “The Hustle Daily Show” is a HubSpot Original Podcast // Brought to you by The HubSpot Podcast Network // Produced by Darren Clarke.

With this episode, I'm reminded of when I did my first show on the sub-prime crisis. In PLUNDER, BRENDAN BALLOU, a federal prosecutor, explains how private equity has reshaped American business - from nursing homes to prisons, emergency rooms to apartment buildings - by raising prices, reducing quality, cutting jobs, and shifting resources from productive to unproductive parts of the economy. What's worse, as of now PEs are legally shielded from liability for the consequences of their actions. You can learn more at plunderthebook.com.

The idea behind private equity or PE is simple: a private equity company gathers up a bunch of cash, raises some investor cash and takes on a lot of debt to buy various companies, often taking them off the public stock market. Then, they usually install new management and embark on aggressive cost cutting and turnaround programs – mostly because they have to pay down all that debt pretty fast. Then, the company can be sold or taken public again for a hefty profit. But don't worry—if it doesn't work out, the PE firms are extracting fees at every step of the process so they get paid no matter what happens. In another world, these PE deals are just boring financing strategies or maybe the backbone of the occasional juicy corporate takeover story. In Decoder world, PE is everywhere. Since the modern PE industry kicked off in the 1980's, it's grown virtually unchecked, and as author Brendan Ballou explains, that's had seriously negative consequences for all kinds of markets and consumers. Private equity affects everything from the modern nursing home industry, to the Solarwinds hack, one of the biggest hacks in U.S. history. Brendan Ballou is the author of Plunder: Private Equity's Plan to Pillage America. Brendan is also a federal prosecutor and he served as Special Counsel for Private Equity in the antitrust division at the Department of Justice, so he's uniquely suited to writing a book like this. Although he will be the first to tell you, the book does not reflect the views of the DOJ. This is a wonky episode, but it's essential. Links: Plunder by Brendan Ballou  How Private Equity Buried Payless - The New York Times  Barnes & Noble is going back to its indie roots to compete with Amazon - Decoder, The Verge How arson led to a culture reboot at Traeger, with CEO Jeremy Andrus - Decoder, The Verge Opinion | Private Equity Is Gutting America — and Getting Away With It - The New York Times Ticketmaster, Taylor Swift, and antitrust – explained - The Verge What is chokepoint capitalism, with authors Cory Doctorow and Rebecca Giblin  Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today's episode was produced by Jackie McDermott and Raghu Manavalan, and it was edited by Callie Wright. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Editorial Director is Brooke Minters, and our Executive Producer is Eleanor Donovan.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Plunder: Private Equity's Plan to Pillage America by Brendan Ballou https://amzn.to/3oT6KW6 The authoritative exposé of private equity: what it is, how it kills businesses and jobs, how the government helps, and how we stop it Private equity surrounds us. Firms like Blackstone, Carlyle, and KKR are among the largest employers in America and hold assets that rival those of small countries. Yet few understand what these firms are or how they work. In Plunder, Brendan Ballou explains how private equity has reshaped American business by raising prices, reducing quality, cutting jobs, and shifting resources from productive to unproductive parts of the economy. Ballou vividly illustrates how many private equity firms buy up retailers, medical practices, prison services, nursing-home chains, and mobile-home parks, among other businesses, using little of their own money to do it and avoiding debt and liability for their actions. Forced to take on huge debts and pay extractive fees, companies purchased by private equity firms are often left bankrupt, or shells of their former selves, with consequences to communities that long depended on them. Perhaps most startling is Ballou's insight into how this is happening with the active support of various arms of the government. But, as Ballou reveals in an agenda for reining in the industry, private equity can be stopped from wreaking further havoc. About the Author Brendan Ballou is a federal prosecutor and served as Special Counsel for Private Equity in the Justice Department's Antitrust Division. He graduated from Columbia University and Stanford Law School.

In Plunder, Brendan Ballou explains how private equity has reshaped American business by raising prices, reducing quality, cutting jobs, and shifting resources from productive to unproductive parts of the economy. Ballou vividly illustrates how many private equity firms buy up retailers, medical practices, prison services, nursing-home chains, and mobile-home parks, among other businesses, using little of their own money to do it and avoiding debt and liability for their actions. Join us when Ballou explains how companies forced to take on huge debts and pay extractive fees, companies purchased by private equity firms are often left bankrupt, or shells of their former selves, with consequences to communities that long depended on them, on this installment of Leonard Lopate at Large.

On this week's episode of Lever Time: David Sirota is joined by Josh Olson and Dave Anthony, hosts of The Audit podcast, to discuss the dangerous influence of the conservative media network Prager University (also known as PragerU). PragerU has become one of the most successful peddlers of right-wing propaganda, as their professionally produced short-form videos often go viral on YouTube and Facebook. Though they originally made videos for adults, PragerU's “educational content” has pivoted towards children and their parents in recent years. Now, shockingly, PragerU videos are finding their way into the American education system, as teachers across the country use PragerU content in their classrooms, with or without the consent of students and their parents. This season of The Audit focuses specifically on PragerU, digging into how this propaganda organization got its start, where it gets its money from, and how it's attempting to indoctrinate America's children.A transcript of this episode is available here.Links: The Right Curriculum? How PragerU Infiltrates Schools. (The American Prospect, 2021) Right-wing propaganda organization PragerU begins targeting children (The Hawk Talk, 2022) Inside the Right-Wing YouTube Empire That's Quietly Turning Millennials Into Conservatives (Mother Jones, 2018) BONUS: Next Monday's bonus episode of Lever Time Premium, exclusively for The Lever's supporting subscribers, will include David's dual interviews with with Brendan Ballou, author of the new book Plunder: Private Equity's Plan to Pillage America, and Josh Rosner, co-author of These Are the Plunderers: How Private Equity Runs – And Wrecks – America. Brendan and Josh break down everything you've ever wanted to know about the private equity industry, which is arguably one of the most destructive industries within the American economy. If you'd like access to Lever Time Premium, which includes extended interviews and bonus content, head over to LeverNews.com to become a supporting subscriber.If you'd like to leave a tip for The Lever, click the following link. It helps us do this kind of independent journalism. levernews.com/tipjar Thanks to our sponsor Sheets & Giggles. To get 20% off your order, head over to SheetsGiggles.com/lever. Make sure to use the discount code LEVER at checkout. 

Federal prosecutor and special counsel at the Department of Justice, Brendan Ballou, shares book "Plunder, Private Equity's Plan to Pillage America" (0:00), President of Conservatives for Responsible Stewardship, Dave Jenkins, discusses how taxpayer money is being used to plug and clean up orphaned oil wells in Utah (22:24), Kamas' newest eating establishment, Vintage Restaurant Bar and Grill (37:36)

EPISODE 1469: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to the author of PLUNDER, Brendan Ballou, about Private Equity's Plan to Pillage America Brendan Ballou is a federal prosecutor and served as Special Counsel for Private Equity in the Justice Department's Antitrust Division. Previously, he worked in private practice, and before that, in the National Security Division of the Justice Department, where he advised the White House on counterterrorism and other policies. He graduated from Columbia University and Stanford Law School. His latest book is PLUNDER: Private Equity's Plan to Pillage America (2023) Named as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen is amongst the world's best known broadcasters and commentators. In addition to presenting KEEN ON, he is the host of the long-running How To Fix Democracy show. He is also the author of four prescient books about digital technology: CULT OF THE AMATEUR, DIGITAL VERTIGO, THE INTERNET IS NOT THE ANSWER and HOW TO FIX THE FUTURE. Andrew lives in San Francisco, is married to Cassandra Knight, Google's VP of Litigation & Discovery, and has two grown children. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you want to maximize the value of your home for decades, you might update the kitchen. But if your time frame is one week, then you might burn down the house. Brendan Ballou is a federal prosecutor and special counsel at the Department of Justice, where he led the antitrust division's work on private equity. He's also authored a new book, “Plunder, Private Equity's Plan to Pillage America.” Ricky Mulvey caught up with him to talk about: - The techniques many private equity companies use to generate short-term returns - A key misunderstanding about the fall of in-person retailers - Private equity's impact on medical billing, bakeries, and insurance Companies discussed: CG, KKR, BX Host: Ricky Mulvey Guest: Brendan Ballou Engineer: Tim Sparks

Brendan Ballou, talks to Rob about his forthcoming book, Plunder, about the growing harmful role of private equity in the US. Ballou is a federal prosecutor and served as Special Counsel for Private Equity in the Justice Department's Antitrust Division.

Author Brendan Ballou joins me to discuss his superb new book, Plunder: Private Equity's Plan to Pillage America in the latest episode of The Grant Williams Podcast. After graduating Columbia and Stanford Law, Brendan served as a Federal prosecutor and Special Counsel for Private Equity in the Justice Department's Antitrust Division, where his mandate was to investigate private equity's influence on financial markets. What he found shocked Brendan and moved him to write a book chronicling the outsize effect private equity has had in so much of American life over the last several decades. From nursing homes to prison phone companies, Brendan details how private equity has reshaped American business by raising prices, reducing quality, cutting jobs, and shifting resources from productive to unproductive parts of the economy. Forced to take on huge debts and pay extractive fees, companies purchased by private equity firms are often left bankrupt, or shells of their former selves, with consequences to communities that long depended on them. Every episode of the Grant Williams podcast, including This Week In Doom, The End Game, The Super Terrific Happy Hour, The Narrative Game and Shifts Happen, is available to Copper, Silver and Gold Tier subscribers at my website www.Grant-Williams.com. Copper Tier subscribers get access to all podcasts, while members of the Silver Tier get both the podcasts and my monthly newsletter, Things That Make You Go Hmmm… Gold Tier subscribers have access to my new series of in-depth video conversations, About Time.

Do you care about your ailing loved ones in nursing homes? How about your 401K? Private Equity firms have become modern day pirates preying on the most marginalized populations in order to make a buck--and if that isn't terrible enough they are now coming for what is left of the Middle Class. Waj and Danielle sit down with Brendan Ballou author of the new book, Plunder: Private Equity's Plan to Pillage America. In this episode of democracy-ish we pull the curtain back behind these elitist institutions to see what is really at play.Hosts: Danielle Moodie & Wajahat Ali Executive Producer: Adell Coleman Senior Producer: Quinton Hill Distributor: DCP EntertainmentSupport the show: https://www.dcpofficial.com/democracy-ishSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.