"Private equity executives, meanwhile, are not only among the wealthiest people in American society, but have grown to become modern-day barons with outsized influence on our politics and legislation. CEOs of firms like Blackstone, Carlyle, KKR, and Apollo are rewarded with seats in the Senate and on the boards of the country's most august institutions; meanwhile, entire communities are hollowed out as a result of their buyouts. Workers lose their jobs. Communities lose their institutions. Only private equity wins"--

Bad Company by Megan Greenwell exposes the pervasive influence of private equity in American life, from healthcare and housing to media and infrastructure. Through the personal stories of four workers devastated by private equity takeovers, the book reveals how these firms enrich a powerful elite while destabilizing communities and deepening inequality. Combining investigative journalism with human-centered storytelling, it offers a powerful critique of one of the most consequential yet opaque forces in the U.S. economy