Uber investor says private markets era is approaching

James Coulter believes that the private markets may take the spotlight sooner than expected

Uber investor says private markets era is approaching
Although the public stock markets are still enjoying their all-time highs, some investors believe that the private markets may take the spotlight sooner than expected.

One such believer is TPG co-founder James Coulter. TPG is a private equity firm that owns a stake in Uber.

In a CNBC report, Coulter said firms are choosing to stay private longer due to the difficulty of launching a public stock debut. To recall, some high-profile firms like Blue Apron and Snap launched their initial public offerings recently and ultimately flopped.

"We're going into the era of the private markets," Coulter said, noting that instead of going public, firms are selling to larger publicly-listed firms or remaining privately held as long as possible. He cited, for instance, the case of Instagram subscribing under Facebook.

Coulter said firms have the liberty of time to resolve some setbacks without bearing the constant scrutiny of public shareholders. Recently, Uber announced Dara Khosrowshahi as its new CEO, replacing Travis Kalanick who was forced to resign amidst the growing allegations of sexual harassment at Uber.

When asked whether TPG would put some of its stake in Uber for sale, Coulter was quoted as saying, "We're happy with our position in the company. It's been an interesting ride."

Khosrowshahi announced in late August that investors could see Uber make its IPO in the next 18 to 36 months.


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