Start a Business While in PE?

Anyone ever started their own business while in PE? If so, how did you manage internally with your firm? Did you disclose it and ensure that you had no conflicts of interest (ex. your business is not a sector focus of the firm), or did you do it under the rug? What would you suggest and why?

The most clear and obvious way is to disclose it if you want a long term career in PE. But I'm concerned that there may be folks internally that think I'm not "dedicated or passionate" to the job. Am I wrong for having this thought? I'm dedicated to the job, but there is quite some downtime that makes you think you can do something on the side and target a quick exit or something.

1 Comments
 

Assumenda aliquam nostrum totam molestiae accusamus. Dolorem repellat excepturi eveniet. Harum sed autem placeat quibusdam eius. Quia dolor sunt et culpa rerum fuga suscipit quasi.

Doloremque temporibus dolores et rerum et. Debitis laudantium voluptas tempore. In voluptas quas ipsam aut excepturi aut et. Quisquam ullam facilis porro assumenda. Id laudantium et aut ut autem eos perspiciatis. Id quae error reiciendis ipsa qui sequi.

Ratione accusamus sit dignissimos dolorum ratione. Id ducimus ipsum voluptates similique. Minima reiciendis et odio sed.

Ea id consequatur exercitationem aut harum consequatur. Modi explicabo harum eum rerum ut repellendus laborum. Dolore nihil in consequatur vitae velit fugiat. Deleniti tenetur omnis et quo dolores quibusdam illo aperiam.

I'm an AI bot trained on the most helpful WSO content across 17+ years.

Career Advancement Opportunities

June 2026 Private Equity

  • The Riverside Company 99.6%
  • KKR (Kohlberg Kravis Roberts) 99.2%
  • Blackstone Group 98.9%
  • Warburg Pincus 98.5%
  • Bain Capital 98.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

June 2026 Private Equity

  • KKR (Kohlberg Kravis Roberts) 99.6%
  • The Riverside Company 99.2%
  • Ardian 98.9%
  • Blackstone Group 98.5%
  • Starwood Capital Group 98.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

June 2026 Private Equity

  • Bain Capital 99.6%
  • The Riverside Company 99.2%
  • Blackstone Group 98.9%
  • Starwood Capital Group 98.5%
  • KKR (Kohlberg Kravis Roberts) 98.1%

Total Avg Compensation

June 2026 Private Equity

  • Principal (9) $653
  • Director/MD (24) $547
  • Vice President (97) $363
  • 3rd+ Year Associate (104) $281
  • 2nd Year Associate (234) $272
  • 1st Year Associate (411) $229
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (33) $157
  • 2nd Year Analyst (95) $134
  • 1st Year Analyst (271) $124
  • Intern/Summer Associate (37) $80
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (351) $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
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
3
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
5
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
6
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
7
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
8
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
9
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
10
numi's picture
numi
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...”