Are LPs Funds of Funds? Relationship Building in the Private Equity Industry

45 Pages Posted: 25 Oct 2014

See all articles by Massimo Massa

Massimo Massa

INSEAD - Finance

Hong Zhang

Singapore Management University, LKCSB; Tsinghua University - PBC School of Finance

Xiaolan Zhou

Shanghai University of Finance and Economics - School of Economics

Multiple version iconThere are 2 versions of this paper

Date Written: October 24, 2014

Abstract

We investigate an informal yet important mechanism in the private equity industry that helps to reduce uncertainty: relationship building. Based on a large sample of private equity funds over the 1980-2010 period, we find that the general partners strategically allocate good funds to loyal investors, who in turn commit to invest also in new funds that are not ex-ante promising. In addition, this effect is stronger for venture capital (VC) funds and more popular among certain types of investors. The bargaining power of the relationship concentrates in the hand of GPs.

Keywords: Private Equity, Relationship, Performance

JEL Classification: G20, L10

Suggested Citation

Massa, Massimo and Zhang, Hong and Zhou, Xiaolan, Are LPs Funds of Funds? Relationship Building in the Private Equity Industry (October 24, 2014). INSEAD Working Paper No. 2014/57/FIN, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2514248 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2514248

Massimo Massa (Contact Author)

INSEAD - Finance ( email )

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Hong Zhang

Singapore Management University, LKCSB ( email )

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Tsinghua University - PBC School of Finance ( email )

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Xiaolan Zhou

Shanghai University of Finance and Economics - School of Economics ( email )

777 Guoding Road
Shanghai, 200433
China

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