Bad Company: Private Equity and the Death of the American Dream

Megan Greenwell documents the mechanics of leveraged buyouts and the specific financial maneuvers private equity firms use to extract value from established American businesses. Through case studies involving retail chains, healthcare providers, and local newsrooms, she illustrates how debt-funded acquisitions lead to aggressive cost-cutting, asset stripping, and employee layoffs. The book identifies the legal loopholes and tax advantages, such as carried interest and dividend recapitalizations, that allow fund managers to profit even when the underlying companies collapse into bankruptcy or liquidation.

This book is intended for professionals in finance, labor advocates, and policy makers who require a granular understanding of how alternative investment structures impact the broader economy. Readers gain a technical perspective on the misalignment between short-term capital gains and long-term corporate health. The text provides the data and history necessary to evaluate the systemic risks posed by the private equity industry's current regulatory environment. By the final chapter, the reader understands how specific investment strategies contribute to the erosion of job security and middle-class stability.