Weekend Giant Reading: August 19 – 21, 2016

We’re back! After chasing two small humans around a hot-lava-emitting island for ten days, the AoG team is exhausted and needs to get back to work so it can finally get some rest. Without further ado, here are the big stories from the past month or so:

- Goodish Governance: Libya’s sovereign fund has reportedly lost one of its two competing Chairmen, which has left many people concerned that the Libyan Investment Authority may finally stop being dysfunctional.

- New PE Research: According to some new research, private equity performance, on a risk adjusted basis, sucks.

- The Fee Machine: 31% of private equity deals are sold from one PE GP to another PE GP. And for LPs, that means fees upon fees upon fees upon fees upon fees. . . You get the point.

- The Fee Machine:Yale, MIT, and NYU are facing litigation over “excessive” fees in their employee retirement plans. If you’re an asset owner that isn’t taking the fee and cost issue seriously, you’re in for a rude awakening.

- Development Funds: The Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority continues to help attract big-time investors into the country — most recently launching a partnership with Old Mutual to co-invest $700 million in real estate and agriculture development projects.

- New SWFs I: Saudi Arabia will reportedly launch a $1.1 billion fund to help foster its venture capital industry and support entrepreneurs.

- New SWFs II: Plans for a $10 billion+ “Turkey Wealth Fund” are part of the country’s plans to sooth markets after the failed coup.

- Sigh I: The dude who helped orchestrate the IMDB fraud has been arrested in Abu Dhabi.

- Sigh II: There’s ANOTHER sovereign fund that’s been implicated in a $1B embezzlement/fraud. First, 1MDB. Now . . . RAK Investment Authority. What’s with the UAE?

- Selfie: I apparently had way too much to drink and then wrote a Wizard of Oz inspired speech for a magazine. Lord.