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Salem: Private Equity Is Shifting from EBITDA to Revenue Multiples

Paul Salem · Private Equity Masters: Paul Salem – Providence Equity Partners (Capital Allocators, EP.175) · Feb 1, 2021 · at 49:33

Paul Salem, Senior Managing Director Emeritus at Providence Equity Partners, discusses shifting valuation trends in private equity with host Ted Seides.

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“You're seeing the same thing in private equity. Everything used to be a valuation based on EBITDA. We're slowly getting to valuations based on revenue. And the only reason why you do it based on revenue is because you can't do it based on EBITDA because there is no EBITDA.”

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