Question about 2/20

Quick question about the 2/20 rule... Question first and then background of why I'm asking.

Q: it seems as though waterfalls do not exist in PE, is this correct? why is this structure preferred?

I understand the concept of the 2/20 rule, but coming from a RE background, there's something i can't wrap my head around. In real estate, there are hurdles to meet and cash flows through a 'waterfall'. For example: the GP gets their pro rata share of returns up to 10%, they get 25% of the returns that fall between 10-15% and 50% of the returns greater than 15%. it's called meeting your prefs or meeting your hurdles.

It seems as though the waterfall structure does not exist in PE and the GP gets a straight 20% return of the profits. This can be a double edged sword for the PE firm, but obviously it depends on several inputs and assumptions.

4 Comments
 

Omnis voluptate hic ut et. Dolor neque asperiores commodi dolor natus laudantium magnam ipsum. Et quia pariatur aut quo ut molestiae nobis. Dignissimos aspernatur animi ut. Veniam veritatis necessitatibus ab eius iure quis. Ut odio corporis harum nihil quas explicabo veritatis. Culpa velit sed aut ut enim.

Career Advancement Opportunities

October 2026 Private Equity

  • Blackstone Group 99.6%
  • The Riverside Company 99.3%
  • KKR (Kohlberg Kravis Roberts) 98.9%
  • Warburg Pincus 98.5%
  • Vista Equity Partners 98.2%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

October 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

October 2026 Private Equity

  • Bain Capital 99.6%
  • Blackstone Group 99.3%
  • The Riverside Company 98.9%
  • Starwood Capital Group 98.5%
  • KKR (Kohlberg Kravis Roberts) 98.2%

Total Avg Compensation

October 2026 Private Equity

  • Principal (9) $653
  • Director/MD (24) $547
  • Vice President (100) $364
  • 3rd+ Year Associate (106) $280
  • 2nd Year Associate (236) $272
  • 1st Year Associate (414) $231
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (33) $157
  • 2nd Year Analyst (97) $134
  • 1st Year Analyst (273) $126
  • Intern/Summer Associate (40) $79
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (357) $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

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
3
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
4
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
5
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
6
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
7
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
8
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
9
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
10
Mimbs's picture
Mimbs
98.8
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...”