Introducing the PEI 50

Last month, sister publication Private Equity International released a ranking of private equity firms by size, called the PEI 50. The magazine used a unique, apples-to-apples methodology—private equity capital raised over the past five years. Specifically, PEI counted the amount of capital raised for direct private equity investment, excluding real estate and senior debt funds, from January 1, 2002 until press time in mid-April. This methodology captures a firm's current heft in the market and also indicates the scope of its recent deal activity. The list is global. While all firms listed were given a chance to fact-check, PEI is not disclosing which firms provided information to the survey and which declined. Where confirmation was not provided by the firm in question, PEI relied on the best available information from a variety of sources. PEI also allowed its methodology to include direct private equity investors that rely on non-traditional funding structures, such as 3i and Teachers' Private Capital. As private equity continues to grow, morph and globalize, expect to see the PEI 50 constituent rankings and makeup change dramatically. The complete methodology and detailed profiles of each firm can be found in the May 2007 issue of Private Equity International