I am extremely freaking thrilled to announce that Bad Company is *officially* available for preorder wherever you buy books. (I am linking to Bookshop but buy it wherever!) I worked so, so hard on this book, and it would mean a ton to me if you ordered it. bookshop.org/a/109816/978...
Thank you to @annamerlan.bsky.social for interviewing me about how everything is private equity now and for letting me answer anyway when I asked if she wanted to know what % of senators and representatives take private equity money and she responded "No." www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
Strange to dismiss such a key question: private equity’s influence in politics isn’t some side note, it’s central to how policy gets shaped. If everything is private equity now, shouldn’t we start with who’s cashing in?
(she was joking)
(oops my bad)
📌
hi @greenwell.bsky.social & @annamerlan.bsky.social great interview in MJ. 🙏💪🏼 The stories echo ones I know. Follow up question if that’s cool. What should we understand the “flip” to be in our country’s case? Where will the money get drained to? They’re saying “should go back to taxpayers” 😂😂😂
apologies if i missed it in the article
Thought I saw that DOGE, as part of deciding who to keep, is asking GSA employees how they make money for the agency. Couldn’t figure how that makes sense re a gov agency.
Private equity destroyed Roambi (iOS BI tech now owned by SAP), a successful startup that created the first business application for iPhone. I was proud to be employee number 13, we grew to almost 200. One year after PE, bankrupt then tech was turned over to tech giant SAP. Hmm..🧐
This really shows my weaknesses as an interviewer because I just let you anyway. SMH
and now it'll haunt you FOREVER. 😈
Followed the link and looked it up in the article and all I have to say is yikes.
Guessing its 100% “both sides”
Gotta maintain a little bit of curiosity so these excellent writers get their page views (it’s not 100%). 🤫
Preorders are by far the most important metric of success for any book. They tell booksellers how much interest there is, which means they determine how many copies get printed. They are the biggest factor in whether anyone will ever let me write another book! Please help me write another book!
Do ebook preorders count in this way?
Yes!
This feels starkly relevant to the book at hand. Nevertheless pre-ordered because of that title alone.
Will there be an audio?
Yes! It should already be available for preorder on most platforms; here it is on Audible:
Pull my arm why don’t you? Preordered! I’ll surely be done with this giant stack on my nightstand by June
It's a horrid reality. I know that's how it is, but it's hell for authors to depend on pre-orders, most done through the evil Amazon.
I’m definitely going to pre order this! It sounds like it will be reminiscent of Barbarians at the Gate, but now with updated anecdotes to showcase the longer term breakdown of capitalism that we’ve seen since the Friedman Doctrine really took hold in America.
I’ve ordered a copy and look forward to reading it.
I bought the Kindle version. Looking forward to read it!
📌
I did preorder.
thank you so much!
One of my favorite subjects. I'm glad you took the time to write a book about it, looking forward to reading it very soon!!!
looking forward to reading it! i would send copies to the CEO's of Sears, Kmart, Red Lobster, Radio Shack, Brookstone, TGI Friday's, Party City, Sports Authority, Toys R Us, A&P, The Limited and Friendly's, but as you know, these PE backed company's are no more.
"Joann was previously a publicly traded company, but was taken private by private-equity firm Leonard Green & Partners in 2011 in a $1.6 billion deal that left if saddled with debt. The company was founded nearly 75 years ago in Cleveland." by T.Garcia/MarketWatch 3/13/21 www.npr.org/2025/02/13/n...
greed is not good. greed devastates communities and societies. since 2010, the amount of dollars allocated to alternative investments that includes private equity has grown by 4X to $17 billion and billionaires put more than half of their assets in this category. www.nasdaq.com/articles/alt...
This is a good start, but is there a complete list of the companies killed by PE? There were some great mid-point clothing brands for which the quality was destroyed (looking at u, Cole Haan) and I’m wondering how much of that is PE versus other mismanagement
Everyone knows it was the Endless Shrimp that killed Red Lobster. Private Equity firms don’t exist. Fox News will be the first to tell you. 😂
Just pre-ordered. Can’t wait read your great work!
Congrats!! Preorder ✅ Just finished Empire of Pain so seems appropriate.
Good luck with the book! I'm an indie author who publishes on Amazon under the pen name Endicott Road.
Congratulations on your book release!👏🏻
Will this be on audible? I do otherwise avoid Amazon!
Kobo has been suggested to me as a replacement for audible. I haven't tried it yet, but they've been around forever. Here's hoping we can all switch away! :) Happy reading!
it’s there for preorder already!
Seemingly not in Australia, but I'll keep checking!
As @gregpalast.bsky.social calls it: "Vulture Capitalism"
This looks very interesting, but it also looks like it's going to piss me off. Are there any suggestions in the book of how average folk can fight against this system? That would the part that I'd be especially interested in.
yes! the last third of each character’s story is about what they did/are doing to fight back, including some pretty hopeful stories imo. i was really determined NOT to end the book on a “everything’s screwed, bye!” note.
Robert Reich did a piece about how private equity firms are now getting a hold on sports teams.
Put in a request at my library in PA!
Just preordered!
Is this the Toys R Us in Lewisville, TX?
someone else thinks it's one in brooklyn! i actually have no idea but am gonna find out!
Interesting! Haha, that was my childhood TRU, I was bummed when they all went under.
Congratulations!
Done. Looking forward to reading the book. IMHO, PE is a parasite on any economy. They tear down everything. What do they build for the community, except greedy people, nothing!
Excited to get this next paycheck
Ooh that looks very good - and very timely!
@meredithmlynch.bsky.social This looks right up your alley!
Sorry, but for me, “Bad Company” will always be a 1970’s rock band, and unless this is a biography of them I won’t be buying it
This sounds so interesting! Just added to my “to read” list on Goodreads. Congratulations!! Publish date is just around the corner
Congrats!!!
Please don't hate me for asking this... will it also be available on audible?
That question doesn't offend me, promise! It will! It is available there for preorder already! We chose a narrator earlier this week and I think it will be great!
Oh yay! I just preordered the audio. Thank you!
Being that Audible is a subsidiary of Amazon, which I don’t give my money to, will there be an alternative?
yes! it should be available for preorder now on all audiobook platforms, including libro.fm! libro.fm/audiobooks/9...
Thank you!
📌
So true. It’s awful. West Marine is getting destroyed now by private equity choads.
aka city library
📌
Congratulations!
Weird question but was that Toys ‘R Us from Ohio?
ok, i'm now DYING to know where it is, because someone else thinks it's from their hometown in tennessee and someone ELSE thinks it's brooklyn. will find out!
LFG
Ooh boy, I can't wait to shove a copy of this book into the hands of the guy at work who rolls his eyes at me every time I mention how awful private equity is for the average person.
Really hoping that Magary and Roth do the narration for the audiobook version in the tone of a bickering octogenarian couple arriving late for dinner (3:30pm) at their local Bob Evans.
Ohh, this sounds very interesting.
Would have loved to pre-order but I’m in the UK and that doesn’t seem to be a shipping option 😢
ugh, annoyingly I don’t have a UK publisher but I am hoping to get one! (and the ebook should work if you want to do that?)
Oh I missed the ebook option. Will order that now, thanks!
Just preordered!
Looks like a great read! I've pre-ordered it. Looking forward to June.
It seems interesting. Could you give us a concise reason why? Why you? Why this book? What’s your goal…? Thank you
Ordered, and I will donate my copy to my university library when I finish reading it
why did it never occur to me that we can donate books to libraries?!
What a great idea.
Holy shit! The store pic is from my hometown in SoDak! It pretty much still looks like this too. Eager to read your work!
Pre-ordered! Looking forward to reading it.
Bless bookshop.org for their ebook option!
Takin’ care of business…
Congrats! Such an accomplishment!
I currently only have .60 cents in my bank account. But I will put this on the list.
ok, if it is on audible i'll buy it
it is! i think they're recording the audiobook in the next couple of weeks!
Okay, save my name and make sure and tweet me back when I can preorder the audio book on Audible.
you can right now! www.audible.com/pd/Bad-Compa...
No subject I’m more interested in learning about right now than this. Though I expect to be thoroughly depressed by the end of it..
Preordered.
Now that, I wouldn't mind getting a copy of someday.
Preordered. Thank you for your detailed coverage. So looking forward to this.
Was private equity previously called corporate raiders or vulture capitalism?
corporate raiders, yes! and vulture capitalism has been used to refer to PE as well as to venture capital and other forms of aggressive finance.
Just preordered your book!
Congratulations and THANK YOU.
Looks like a great read I’m in!
Congratulations👏
Can you do one next on Hedge Funds? 😠
Thank you for sharing.
📌
✅
This sounds intriguing! Especially since learning that private equity is the reason for the fall of JoAnn fabrics.
Just pre-ordered from Barnes & Noble!
Looks really good!! 💙
I listen to books at work, will itbe available as audio to buy?
yes! it should be available for preorder on any audio platform of your choice now, i believe? here it is on audible.
📌
Im Darin pharmacy student from gaza and dont complete because war ,on sunday we will return to our home but we will find it completely destroyed and live still in tent when u donate u give me achance to help my family
They were a superb band Check out the discography: "Can't get enough"
Just preordered for my library!
I have to tell you that reading these words from a real live librarian might be the coolest moment of this entire "publishing a book" process so far.
This is SO extremely my jam. I wish I didn't have to wait so long, especially with the news you quoted.
I’m so glad I saw this. I’ve seen private equity swoop in buy companies, suck the life and money out of them and leave them bankrupt with employees fired w 1 day notice and lenders holding the bag! Ordering now!
@petebuttigieg.bsky.social Please start a class action suit against Trump/Musk as Raskin described on Sunday. Millions are waiting for a leader and event that will bring us together in force.This would generate huge energy and could be a beginning of the end - our SOLIDARITY! Be our Lech Walesa!
Can I preorder from the UK or do I need to wait?
you can, with the caveat that I do not have a UK publisher (yet?) so annoyingly you'll have to pay for shipping from the US. (i'm sorry!)
No UK option. Will have to wait for UK publisher. Or is there an e version? Comparing with my experience working with PEs over here will be interesting. Cant wait.
There is an electronic version through Bookshop or Amazon, and hopefully I will get a UK publisher at some point!
Oooh excite - crossing my fingers for a UK publisher!
PE killed the arts magazine for which I used to freelance. After almost 40 years—gone. PE bought most of the medical facilities in the region where I live, closed hospitals and now they’re struggling. There were protests, to no avail. My wonderful PCP quit, at age 50. PE is a zombie virus.
I worked at 20th Century Fox when Rupert Murdoch bought it, followed the same script and ruined it. So many businesses I’ve loved have been destroyed by these soulless predatory deep-fried blobs of protoplasm.
Ooh, I will ask my work to pre-order a copy!
I sincerely hope someone from Freakonomics reaches out. This seems like right up their alley
Congratulations!
Just pre-ordered from my local bookstore!
This sounds right up my alley!
PE is Cancer Capitalism.Will definitely read this book when it comes out
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Pre-ordered on Amazon. Good luck. Can’t wait to read it. PE causing a mess with hospitals in CT.
This looks fascinating! Are there any plans in the works for an audiobook version?
yes! available for preorder now on audible, libro, and likely wherever you get them!
Ordered. Thank you for writing it. (Also… this is my first Bluesky post)
welcome! and thank you!
yessssss
Bookshop. com price is 12.99. Kindle preorder price is 12.99. if you create an account on bookshop you can save it to your wishlist. I want to read about private equity; they seem to be ruining the healthcare system. I don't like the idea of these groups taking over physicians' practices.
Oh my gosh, I am so glad I came across this and WILL ne pre-ordering it! I have been raging again private equity for years and many of my MBA papers were about how the Friedman doctrine is destroying American business and society.
Sorry for the typos, just read it as how excited I just was.
I can promise a lot of Friedman lol! thank you so much.
I have been decrying this after returning full time to the workforce after ten years as a by the project contractor—PE has killed productivity and worker ethics and just changed even what it means to do a good job on a project
Notified my library through Libby 🤗
How timely is this. *adds to TBR*
Super timely. They ruined the clinic I used to work at. Evil. Ordered
Looking forward to my Audible copy on June 10,2025! Thank you!😊
Well isn’t this book on time
Looks great, looking forward to reading.
Looking forward to reading it!
Ordered from Bookshop just now.
Considering my company just got bought by PE, this is gonna be a must-read for me. I keep tryna find The Iron Triangle, but it’s hard to find.
June gonna be a long wait 😫 Any other related books you recommend on this?
Preordered. I am using Bookshop from now on. I am working on not using Amazon anymore.
That’s a phenomenal book title for this topic. Damn, well done.
Private equity firms aren’t just greedy. They are removing everything that is enjoyable in our lives from restaurants to bookstores with an insidious purpose. They are a willing faction of a huge movement that is ushering us into fascism.
Pre-ordered. I can’t wait to read what we’ve always suspected, PE is just another toxic strand of capitalism that leaves destruction and tears in its wake.
Yes, that's the reason for Sears Kmart hundreds of other chains and now the housing market has gone to s***
This was my local TRU growing up so seeing this post on the timeline hit me instantly. Looking forward to reading your book.
This looks so good! Will have to pre-order from my local place
Pre-ordered! Hope B&N is okay. Aside: Tell me, are my worst fears about the private equity takeover of Southwest about to come true?
B&N is great! None of the major parts of the book are set in the southwest (unless we count Texas), but uh... you're not wrong.
Sorry I meant Southwest Airlines. 🤣
OH lol, yes, probably also bad!
bsky.app/profile/help...
Ooh I want to read this! Congratulations what an accomplishment!
Link doesn’t work:-(
hm, it does for me, but you can also search the title and my name at the bookseller of your choice!
How can I get an autographed copy?
I worked for a company that was taken over and dismantled into a shell of its former self so I’ll be preordering as well. Thx for posting.
Congratulations 🎉
International release of kindle friendly in any way ? Really interesting on the topic !
Preordered on Audible. :)
I'm going to order this at my library! So excited!
The title has me hooked. I am probably going to get a copy! 👍
This looks informative and interesting. Thanks for writing it.
📌
These stores didn't need to die! thats the thing people don't fully know yet, Yes some hit really rough road, but many were recovering nicely. It's leverage buy outs with golden parachutes just killing our asses. Can't wait to read more on it.
The title is prefect...
I worked for Toys R Us from 1983-1989. It was a really great job. There were so many employees, it was rare to find an empty shelf. Full time employment with health benefits, profit sharing, and pension. PT also received profit sharing and pension. We had 24 registers going during the holidays.
Would love to interview you !
always up for interviews! megan.wilson@harpercollins.com is the person to go to!
On it !
I'll be requesting it right away from my public library!
Ordered
That is a *great* book title!
just think, if you priced this book at 10 cents for every time your quitting Deadspin article was relevant over the last few years, this book would cost $837.40. so we are getting quite the bargain.
Bravo!
📌
Just preordered the audiobook! Looking forward to this coming out! PE has made what was once an enjoyable job, miserable on a daily basis.
Congratulations on this amazing accomplishment and the ability to share your words with the world!
I tried but I was unable to insert numbers into the system.
Thank you for focusing on this issue. It is a death knell for democracy
"Private Equity?" Just wait till Elon and donnie do as promised and run the Nation like a business. Business expands, take over smaller companies and in general work the 'system' to make money not really caring anymore about its labor force or community. With trump Private Equity will be crushed.
Since you're getting a lot of people asking, the Toys R Us on your cover was at 8825 N 76th St, Milwaukee, WI. The key clue is the 8825 over the door. The two islands and the two types of pavement in the parking lot confirm it.
Just ordered the book 😀 I thought it looked familiar. My grandparents used to take me to that one in the 80’s and 90’s fun memories.
I did the same googling right away. Ha.
I knew it wasn't either of the Nebraska Toys R Us's for...reasons.
LOL at Geoffrey with his drink
I scrolled by and then went back " Did I just see what I thought I saw?"
The best part 😆
oh my god this is beautiful
We love Booze R Us.
The placement of the dumpster is poetic
I cannot personally think of a more wholesome example of consumerism than a Midwestern Toys-R-Us; that may just be the nostalgia. Can't wait to read this.
omg bless you for this sleuthing, totally forgot the address was visible!
I am gobsmacked at this incredible detective work
I would love to interview you!
I'd love that! Media requests should go to megan.wilson@harpercollins.com. Thanks for the interest!
Just ordered, can't wait!
I love BlueSky and its algorithm. This kind of post is what I want robots to push me. Followed, preordered, and congratulations on the publication of this awesome sounding book!
Powerful book, and timely too. I'm new here, switched from Twitter. Please follow.
The American people have no idea how many things are owned by these private equities. That's the real cause of the housing shortage not lack of building new dwelling units
Preordered!
Preordered from my local store... Annie Bloom's in Portland. Congratulations and thank you.
Pre-ordered audiobook.
done ✅
Looks fantastic! Glad you appeared on my feed 🥳
This is awesome. Pre-ordering and I cannot wait to read!!!
Well this is exactly my shit.
And pre-ordered from Audible! Looking forward to listening to what you have to say. :)
Congratulations!!👏👏💐💐
Congratulations! ❤️🧡
I went to put this on hold at my library just now only to find that I already put it on hold a few months ago when I asked them to order it! They're getting 5 copies so far.
omg five copies sounds like so many, this is thrilling! where’s your library?
I'm thinking Illinois 🤗
Actually Colorado! They don’t often order that many copies of nonfiction (usually 2-3), so there must be demand. I think all 5 copies already have holds on them!
What a beautiful state Colorado is. Lucky you! I will likely hit my local library up about getting the book as well, looks I should be aiming higher than a couple of copies. Cheers, G.
The more requests they get, the more copies they order, so tell your friends to do the same!
Will do. 👍
😭 😭 😭
When will it be available in the UK?
I do not have a UK publisher (hello UK publishers...), but you should be able to at least order it from a U.S. site and have it shipped to you, though I realize that's probably stupidly expensive!
Oh man, I want to read it but I'm afraid of getting really pissed off like when I read Griftopia (back when Taibbi was good)
okay yes, BUT there’s some actually hopeful stuff in there too?
This is a weird question, but the cover…is that the former Toysrus on Flatbush Ave. in Brooklyn, on the way to Rockaway?
I do not know the answer to this question but you have made me want to find out!
I’m sure it could easily be one of the many stores that went out, but the death of that one definitely felt like PE personally murdered my childhood. Looking forward to the book— thanks for your work!
Luka Garza
Very very pumped for this
aw jeez ty
What a great effort from you 👍. Sounds like an important book to read. Companies like Apollo Global Management, Bain Capital, and KKR are building a dream, but it ain't the American one; theirs is neoliberalism on steroids.
Congrats!
As someone who has covered the toy industry for decades, you have no clue how much this book cover hurts my heart.
the toys r us saga is a big chunk of the book, and it is indeed sad!
As painful as it is for me to go back down that road, that just sold you a copy.
that is very kind and I really hope you like it.
Paging @dsquareddigest.bsky.social
Extremely freaking thrilled to have pre-ordered! Congratulations.
Thank you for your work, adding to my list and hoping this will get more people looking at the damage Private Equity has done to our country!
Flagged it for payday next week.
Time for Mutual Equity
I thought "Bad Company, I can't deny"🎶🎶
Long ago I had a dream, where all the food and products hanging in a grocery store were generically in beige wrapping. We were all dressed the same, kind of like THX 1138. Private equity would like this for us. You get 1 choice. How will our children ever afford their own homes?
Done, thank you!
Are signed copies available for pre-order?
Hm good question. Not yet, but maybe someday? Sorry lol, I realize this is a wildly unhelpful answer — I am at the mercy of my publisher!
📌
📌
💙📚👀
This might be an appropriate inclusion. youtu.be/9cJ1IZsp750?...
Where can I contact your team for an interview request?
megan.wilson@harpercollins.com!
🙏🏻
Obviously know it’s an American focused book but do you have a uk preorder link?
ugh, so I do not currently have a UK publisher, which I suspect means the best option may be the ebook?
Thanks! I’ll preorder that then ❤️ can’t wait to read it
📌
Psyched to read this!!1
