This is an authoritative guide to understanding the world of private equity (PE) investing, governance structures, and operational assessments of PE portfolio companies. An essential text for any business/finance professional's library, "Private Equity: History, Governance, and Operations, Second Edition" begins by presenting historical information regarding the asset class. This information includes historical fundraising and investment levels, returns, correlation of returns to public market indices, and harvest trends. The text subsequently analyzes PE fund and portfolio company governance structures. It also presents ways to improve existing governance structures of these entities. A specific focus on portfolio company operations, including due diligence assessments, concludes the text. This title seamlessly blends historical information with practical guidance based on risk management and fundamental accounting techniques. It assists the book's professional audience in maximizing returns of their PE investments.