Private Equity

This is a fun read. If you loved Billions the TV show, you will absolutely devour this. And as I learned in the book, the author actually consulted with the show, which makes a lot of sense. The book is not a takedown or a juicy tell-all. The author is actually very fair and to be honest, when I compare it to some of my previous jobs in New York, the job actually sounds pretty great at times. (Though I agree with the author: work environments like that are not sustainable. They suck the life out of you!) This is a memoir of a young woman’s self-discovery. And with that, a look at privilege, extreme wealth, intense work cultures. What it’s like to lose yourself and give up everything for the company you work for. Carrie Sun is the daughter of Chinese immigrants. She’s excelled at everything she’s done. An early graduation from MIT and a hot-shot finance job. Still, she’s trapped in an unhappy engagement and feels unfulfilled. When she gets the (very rare) opportunity to work at one of the best private equity funds as the billionaire founder’s assistant, she can’t say no. Her job is intense. She works constantly. There is never enough time. She has too much work and when she asks her boss for help, he doesn’t do it. Still: there are incredible job perks. Lavish gifts. Amazing company parties. But as Carrie dives deeper into this world, she finds herself losing herself. I really enjoyed it. I loved the look at what it’s like to work for a company like that. I liked the peek into the firm’s work culture. And of course it was fun to read about all the perks!