• In 1996, Charterhouse, led by Gordon Bonnyman, paid the Government £527m for Porterbrook, the train leasing business. Seven months later it sold it for £825m. Its equity stake of £50m was turned into more than £330m, giving it a rate of return of more than 650 per cent.
• In December 1995, one of the most well-established VC groups – Candover, led by Stephen Curran – paid £580m for train leasing company Evershold Holdings. It was sold 13 months later for £726.5m.
• In 1986, Jon Moulton (pictured), now the head of Alchemy (of failed Rover acquisition fame), acquired Parker for £70m. The firm had losses of £20m and profits of £40m. When the firm came to sell it on, total proceeds amounted to £500m, a rate of return of 72 per cent.
• In 1992, CVC acquired Sylvania Lighting for £100m, investing £10m in equity. When the firm exited, they reaped 10 times their investment.
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