Tuesday, May 12, 2026The LedgerLos Angeles Edition

The Ledger

A weekly reading of markets, written for operators and allocators.

§ Foundations

Foundations

Evergreen reference articles on the structures, mechanics, and models behind private markets. Start here if you are new, or return when you need the framework behind a weekly issue.

§ Fund Mechanics

Fund mechanics and the J-curve

The cash flow shape of private funds, the four multiples that track it, and why IRR alone misleads.

§ PE Structures

Private equity structures

Venture capital, growth equity, and leveraged buyouts: the three PE models, how they create value, and what distinguishes them.

§ Credit Stack

The private credit stack

Senior secured, unitranche, mezzanine, and the structural reasons why private lenders keep taking share from banks.

§ Credit Theory

Merton model and distress

Equity as a call option, debt as risk-free minus put, and the five compound causes of financial distress.

§ Real Assets

Real estate and infrastructure

The risk-return spectrum from core to opportunistic, the five-phase RE life cycle, and infrastructure via concession agreements.