Episode · Freakonomics Radio · 2026-10-22
Books mentioned on Are Private Equity Firms Plundering the U.S. Economy? (Update)
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.
Stephen Dubner discussed Plunder by Brendan Ballou and Two and Twenty by Sachin Khajuria.
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
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Plunder
Plunder by Brendan Ballou is an investigative examination of the practices of private equity firms and their impact on the American economy.
Discussed“The title is Plunder: Private Equity's Plan to Pillage America.”
Where to get it
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Two and Twenty
Two and Twenty by Sachin Khajuria is a non-fiction book that explores the inner workings, strategies, and financial mechanisms of the private equity industry.
Discussed“These days, Kaduria is investing his own money and he has written a book called Two and Twenty, How the Masters of Private Equity Always Win.”
Where to get it
Other mentions in this episode (2) — ad reads, self-promotion and passing references, never counted
Passing Plunder
“Rubenstein appears frequently in Brendan Ballou's book. We asked Rubenstein for an interview for this episode, but he declined.”
Passing Two and Twenty
“Thanks to him, as well as to Sachin Khedruria, whose book is called Two and Twenty, How the Masters of Private Equity Always Win.”