Assertion Supported AI assessment confidence: 90% certainty 4/5 debate potential 2/5

Reynolds: TPG founders apologized globally and let LPs cut fund commitments

Megan Reynolds · Meghan Reynolds – Art of Capital Formation (EP.438) · Mar 31, 2025 · at 13:55

Meghan Reynolds details TPG's crisis management strategy after the 2008 financial crisis wiped out early fund investments.

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“We had to do what we called at the time a contrition tour, which was essentially David Bonderman and Jim Coulter traveling all around the world apologizing to our investors. We gave people an option to take their money out. We gave people an option to reduce their commitment.”

quote is from the automated transcript, cleaned for reading: filler sounds and stutters are removed, nothing is rephrased. names can be misheard (the analysis reads context, assessments check outside sources). how →

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