Paul Singer’s Elliott built a reputation for its frequent legal brawls to squeeze more value from its investments in public companies. Now the firm is picking a fight over charges in the opaque world of private equity https://t.co/nWn89USDQ5 ...

The Trump administration is finalizing an executive order that would pave the way for 401(k) retirement savings plans to invest in private equity https://t.co/qvTIt2Kz2w ...

Defense Industry Trends - Increased venture funding for defense startups driven by ongoing conflicts, potentially leading to further innovation [1] - Expectation of a durable trend of increased spending in the defense sector, possibly a continuation of the Cold War or the beginning of World War II [2][3] - NATO member countries are committing to spending 5% of their GDP on defense [3] - Cultural aversion in Silicon Valley towards supporting American defense is diminishing, making the sector more attractive for investment [4] - Market pull for the entire defense supply chain, including startups, is increasing [4][5] Procurement Challenges & Solutions - Both increased overall defense spending and a reallocation towards more efficient, higher-tech defense companies are anticipated [6] - Lengthy procurement cycles (NATO: ~17 years, US DoD: ~7+ years) pose a significant challenge for startups [7] - Efforts are underway to reduce and rationalize procurement cycles to enable startups to participate effectively [8] - Bureaucratic processes and a lack of financial incentives in the military hinder the adoption of innovative solutions from startups [11][12][13][14] Venture Capital & Private Equity Concerns - Illiquidity and lack of distributed capital (DPI) are major crises facing VC and private equity [17][18] - The concept of "private forever" is alarming because the industry depends on long-term liquidity to pay back distributions [20] - Extension of fund lifecycles (from 8 years to 12-15 years) and compression of fees are indicators of the liquidity crisis [21]