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Sullivan: Allocators only learn if GPs are good partners during downturns

Tim Sullivan · Tim Sullivan – Yale's Private Portfolio (EP.456) · Jul 14, 2025 · at 43:27

Tim Sullivan, longtime head of private investments at the Yale Investments Office, reflects on partnership dynamics and alignment across market cycles.

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“The venture business has its bust every 10 or 15 or 20 years, and it's when times are bad that you really learn, are people good partners? It's easy to be a good partner when everybody is making lots of money.”

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