Going from EBITDA to FCF - why is there "Cash Interest Expense" in addition to "Mandatory Debt Paydown"?

Hi folks,

I've been working through a few sample LBO models, including creating my own. In going from EBITDA to FCFE, there is a Mandatory Debt Paydown line item. However, I have seen some excel models include a Cash Interest Expense line item like screenshot below.

My question is - why is Cash Interest Expense included as an extra line item? I would have expected that your interest expense is included in the Mandatory Debt Paydown.

Is it assumed that Mandatory Debt Paydown is just applied to the principal of the loan and you are deducting the interest expense separately with this new line item?

3 Comments
 
Most Helpful

Yep. Cash interest expense is the interest paid on the loan. Mandatory debt paydown is the required principal payment and does not include any interest. FCF for voluntary debt paydown is the discretionary principal payment. You can see senior debt start at 3,000 and decrease by the mandatory paydown (300) and then discretionary paydown (1,196).

 

Fugit optio quod et nihil eveniet ex adipisci. Dolorem magnam et expedita nemo voluptates et.

Dolores ullam consequatur cum beatae a rerum quaerat autem. Tempore rerum dicta quaerat minima eaque iusto. Nobis sit sit aspernatur.

Career Advancement Opportunities

September 2026 Private Equity

  • The Riverside Company 99.6%
  • Blackstone Group 99.3%
  • KKR (Kohlberg Kravis Roberts) 98.9%
  • Warburg Pincus 98.5%
  • Vista Equity Partners 98.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

September 2026 Private Equity

  • Blackstone Group 99.6%
  • KKR (Kohlberg Kravis Roberts) 99.3%
  • The Riverside Company 98.9%
  • Ardian 98.5%
  • Warburg Pincus 98.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

September 2026 Private Equity

  • Bain Capital 99.6%
  • The Riverside Company 99.3%
  • Blackstone Group 98.9%
  • Starwood Capital Group 98.5%
  • KKR (Kohlberg Kravis Roberts) 98.1%

Total Avg Compensation

September 2026 Private Equity

  • Principal (9) $653
  • Director/MD (24) $547
  • Vice President (99) $363
  • 3rd+ Year Associate (106) $280
  • 2nd Year Associate (235) $272
  • 1st Year Associate (414) $231
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (33) $157
  • 2nd Year Analyst (97) $134
  • 1st Year Analyst (273) $126
  • Intern/Summer Associate (38) $81
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (356) $61
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”