The Dealmaker

An inside account of the multi-billion pound world of private equity and a masterclass on the art of dealmaking.

Diagnosed at the age of five as severely dyslexic, Guy Hands managed to overcome the challenges of school to start his own private equity company. In The Dealmaker, he shares the ups and downs of a tumultuous career as a serial entrepreneur. He provides blow-by-blow descriptions of the huge deals he has executed over the years, first at Nomura and then as head of his own company, Terra Firma.

He explains how he approaches each opportunity, whether it involves cinema chains, pubs, aircraft leasing, or green energy. Guy Hands offers a brutally honest appraisal of the deal that almost bankrupted him—the acquisition of multinational music recording and publishing company EMI in 2007, just as a global financial crash loomed on the horizon. Above all, he gives the reader a real sense of what it's like inside the secretive world of private equity, describing in frank detail the pressures and rewards involved.

Insightful and page-turning, The Dealmaker will prove inspirational and essential reading for all those who want to understand how huge business negotiations are conducted, and what makes one of private equity's biggest players tick.