Private equity confronts a goose egg

Private equity firms face significant losses as Medallia, a customer-satisfaction software company, defaulted on its debt, wiping out Thoma Bravo's $5 billion equity stake. The article explains that equityholders, including private equity, bear first losses in financial distress, while lenders like Blackstone are positioned to recover assets. Other companies from 2021-2022 leveraged buyouts, such as Coupa and Zendesk, are also at risk of similar outcomes.