Reader mail is both the joy and horror of writing Going Private. Monday I got a missive from a European reader/writer that contained an unusual tidbit. At first I shrugged it off, but after some reflection I have found myself increasingly offended by the tone and implications. I suppose I should take the left handed compliment in stride given the sullied reputation that private equity types seem to have carefully and laborously cultivated for themselves, but still.
Congratulations on your blog! I do not usually read blogs as I consider them a waste of time and often full of typing errors and the authors' unimaginative views. I came across yours almost by accident and must admit it is fun to read and aesthetically quite pleasant if not poetic. However, the level of linguistic nuance and psychological insight, forgive my reservations, makes it hard to believe you are ‘a real private equity VP’ and not, for example, a well plugged in journalist.
Imagine my shock at being accused of being not just a journalist, but a financial journalist. The horror... the horror.
Actually, the high level of punctuation and grammatical insight in the letter make it hard for me to believe, and forgive my reservations, that the writer is actually European.