1855: The Quiet Billion-Dollar Machine Behind Job Loss, Higher Rents, and Vanishing Services

Ww’re pulling back the curtain on one of the most powerful — and least understood — forces shaping our economy: private equity.

My guest is Megan Greenwell, a veteran journalist and former editor-in-chief of Deadspin, whose new book, Bad Company: Private Equity and the Death of the American Dream, is both a searing exposé and a deeply human investigation. Through vivid storytelling and meticulous reporting, Megan shows how private equity firms, often operating in the shadows — have quietly reshaped entire industries: health care, housing, local news, retail, daycare, even emergency services.

At the heart of Bad Company are four Americans — Liz, Roger, Natalia, and Loren — whose lives were upended by private equity–backed takeovers of the institutions they depended on. Their stories reveal how a business model designed to extract maximum profits for investors has left devastation in its wake for working families and entire communities.

This is a conversation about capitalism, inequality, and the hollowing out of the American Dream. But it’s also about resilience, and the people fighting back.

Learn more about Farnoosh's upcoming literary workshop Book to Brand. Early bird registration is now open!

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