Skill Track
Private Equity & Investment Banking
Private equity and investment banking sit at the apex of corporate finance. Understanding leveraged buyouts, M&A, and financial engineering provides insight into how capital reshapes industries and how the deals that make headlines actually work.
Private Equity Classics
Barbarians at the Gate
Bryan Burrough & John Helyar
The definitive account of the RJR Nabisco leveraged buyout, the largest in history at the time. A gripping narrative that explains the mechanics and personalities of a mega-deal.
View on Amazon (Harper)King of Capital
David Carey & John E. Morris
The story of Blackstone Group and Stephen Schwarzman. Chronicles the rise of private equity from a niche strategy to a dominant force in global finance.
View on AmazonThe New Tycoons
Jason Kelly
An inside look at the modern private equity industry, profiling the leaders of major firms and examining how they create value in their portfolio companies.
View on AmazonMerchants of Debt
George Anders
The story of KKR and the invention of the modern leveraged buyout. Covers the deals, strategies, and controversies that shaped the PE industry.
View on AmazonWhat It Takes
Stephen Schwarzman
The Blackstone CEO's memoir covering lessons on dealmaking, leadership, and building a financial empire. Direct insight from one of PE's most successful practitioners.
View on AmazonInvestment Banking
Liar's Poker
Michael Lewis
Lewis's autobiographical account of his time as a bond salesman at Salomon Brothers in the 1980s. A vivid portrayal of Wall Street culture and the mortgage bond market's origins.
View on Amazon (W.W. Norton)Monkey Business
John Rolfe & Peter Troob
A candid, humorous account of life as junior investment bankers at DLJ. Provides an inside look at the demanding culture and deal process at major investment banks.
View on AmazonInvestment Banking: Valuation, LBOs, M&A, and IPOs
Joshua Rosenbaum & Joshua Pearl
The technical bible for aspiring investment bankers. Covers comparable companies analysis, precedent transactions, DCF, LBO modeling, and M&A mechanics in detail.
View on Amazon (Wiley)Financial Crises
Too Big to Fail
Andrew Ross Sorkin
The definitive account of the 2008 financial crisis, based on unprecedented access to the key players. Chronicles the collapse and bailouts of major financial institutions in real-time.
View on AmazonThe Big Short
Michael Lewis
The story of the investors who predicted the subprime mortgage crisis and bet against the market. Explains complex financial instruments like CDOs in accessible terms.
View on AmazonKey Concepts
LBO Mechanics
- Debt/Equity Structure
- EBITDA Multiples
- Returns & IRR Calculation
M&A Process
- Deal Sourcing & Screening
- Due Diligence
- Valuation Methodologies
Value Creation Levers
- Operational Improvements
- Multiple Expansion
- Debt Paydown
Exit Strategies
- Strategic Sale
- Secondary Buyout
- IPO
Technology Integration
Financial Modeling
Excel remains the primary tool for deal modeling, but Python is increasingly used for data analysis, automation, and building proprietary screening tools.
Automate the Boring Stuff (Free)AI in Deal-Making
AI is transforming due diligence (document review, contract analysis), deal sourcing (pattern recognition), and market research. Firms that leverage AI effectively gain significant efficiency advantages.