[alphonse23]

As soon as I read the article too I wanted to check if the NYT is owned by private equity. According to wikipedia, it's both part publicly traded on the NYSE and privately owned: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_New_York_Times_Company. I wouldn't know where to find out how much of the company is privately owned and publicly traded, though. But spot on, it's a publicity piece (and you've played your part by clicking). But I think most would see that by the presentation. Was still entertaining though.

[jeffreyrogers]

Being privately owned isn't the same thing as being owned by private equity. And looking at the NYT it has Class A and Class B shares, where only the Class B shares are privately owned. The usual reason for dividing the shares into different classes is to give the owners of one class rights that the other class doesn't have. I'm not sure what, if any, differences there are between the NYT's Class A and Class B shares.

[alphonse23]

I'll admit, I don't know what the specific legal definition of private equity is. According to wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Private_equity "In finance, private equity is an asset class consisting of equity securities and debt in operating companies that are not publicly traded on a stock exchange." There are probably more legal specifics that would further divide private equity from just anything that's not publicly traded. But, you're on the right track, if in fact the private Class B shares override the rights of Class A shares (significantly), then the NYT's could be seen as just another shady entity in our lives that's controlled by private equity, as the link tries to illuminate.

[rcar]

The article is using the term "private equity" to refer to private equity firms, so the more relevant wiki article is https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Private_equity_firm

[the_watcher]

The article links to another titled "What is private equity." Privately owned != private equity.

[james1071]

Private equity means leveraged buy out.

[Noseshine]

Why is it relevant that the NYT is private or whatever? Is the NYT a basic service formerly provided by government?

[alphonse23]

because of the irony.

[Noseshine]

What irony? There is no connection. What is so "ironic" about a private business being private? Or is there anyone - apart from former Eastern Bloc countries - who thinks newspapers should be state-owned? The topic is privatization of government functions. Private media should not write about it? I don't understand. So in order to write about this topic we need non-private media, i.e. only individual bloggers, state-owned media (China?) and maybe NPR can write about it?

[stuffedBelly]

It is visually appealing and I like its attempt to bringing exposure to something general public has little understanding of. This topic definitely deserves more than just a publicity piece, especially for something as complicated as financial industry.

[gmarx]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Slim