This is a compelling story that reads with energy and excitement. Carrie Sun's memoir of joining a highly competitive hedge fund in New York City captures the highs and lows of her journey. She reveals an elite, prosperous, and competitive business environment in New York City that few have access or exposure to. The reader cannot help but be impressed by Sun's ambition, abilities, and achievements and concerned that her choices may not bring fulfillment. As a Chinese immigrant whose childhood is freighted with her parents' struggles and expectations, Sun is both attracted to and repelled by the rarified world of finance. The author's personal story is revealed over the course of the book. Eventually she leaves the hedge fund to chart a new course that is more aligned with her interests and values learning in the process how important it is to state her mind and define her boundaries. Readers at all ages can relate to that discovery process and draw valuable lessons from her experience.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC: The author describes herself as having alexithymia--the inability to identify and recognize one's emotions: it's a word befitting a very bright, highly educated woman who struggled to find her way in her late twenties/early thirties. Sun wrote an evocative memoir about her time as a personal assistant to billionaire head of a hedge fund. She took the job, despite being over-qualified--to find some work/life balance and was subsumed. I'd thought the TV show "Billions" was hyperbole, but Sun describes a hedge fund world of huge wealth, inequities, misogyny, and pressure. She was interviewed by "Billions'" writers to verify the authenticity of the show. A first generation Chinese immigrant, she was driven to succeed. While other reviewers didn't appreciate her detailed descriptions of finance--I found she was able communicate complex topics clearly. The initial interview--14 interviews and the requirement that all of her references be available within the fund's time frame foreshadowed how demanding and ultimately demeaning the finance workplace would be. She had to break a date with someone important to make the interviews and never reconnected with this person--again foreshadowing the sacrifices. Her back story wasn't revealed until the final chapters, but they brought clarity to her behavior. Fascinating inside look at the world of very wealthy fund managers.

Boy, am I glad that Carrie Sun had the courage to leave finance and pursue her dream of writing as Private Equity was one of my favorite books of the year. Sun gives the reader a behind-the-scenes look at what goes on at top-tier Private Equity/Hedge Fund/Family Office, the personalities who are breathing that rarified air and the often-complicated working relationships in the high-stakes, high-reward industry For those insights alone the book would be well worth the read, but layer in the fascinating personal story of the author and what readers are treated to is a very nuanced story of the ultra-high expectations that were placed on Sun by her parents that translated to an intense drive to excel academically and also influenced her professional choices. Private Equity has a coming-of-age aspect to it as Sun struggled to set boundaries, how she reacted when they were tested and sometimes failed, and what it took for her to reach her breaking point. The fact that she came out on the other side and allowed the readers to go along with her on the journey is a privilege, indeed.

Carrie Sun's "Private Equity" is a memoir focused on her time working for the billionaire head of "Carbon," a private equity firm in Manhattan. Sun provides an inside glimpse of the daily happenings of a small but powerful private equity firm and what it is like to work for a billionaire. This job provided Sun with financial security and a bunch of awesome perks, but it was also slowly killing her. As an ambitious, smart, talented woman, it takes near physical and emotional unraveling for Sun to start to question if this is the right position for her, or really for anyone who wants sanity and some semblance of a balanced life. Intertwined in her descriptions of her daily life at Carbon are important pieces of Sun's outside life, from her emotionally distanced parents to a wealthy, yet overbearing, boyfriend. At the end, Sun reveals a disturbing event from her past that provides a lot of perspective, coupled with the other life details that she shares, that explains why she suffered the way she did in her role. This was an interesting book.

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Carrie is excited to start a new job. With this new job, she encounters obstacles she never had before. This book gave us an insightful look at what your life is like working forca big company. A nice read.

Having a daughter who works in finance, I was very interested in Carrie Sun’s take on life as an assistant to the head of a hedge fund. Her anecdotes about the endless work and the crazy spending on trips and consumer goods were entertaining but not surprising. Much of her personal drive for success might be attributed to her strict upbringing by Chinese parents who immigrated from China. Some of her backstory was integrated into the present day flow of the book. I think the transitions into these could be smoother as their appearance, especially the final one regarding her college years, didn’t make sense as to their placement within the book. The author’s note helped me with understanding aspects of the book. At first I thought this should be moved to the front but after reflection its placement is probably fine. Overall this was an eye opening look into the world of hedge funds. It was poignant and engaging. I thank NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC.

I did not want Private Equity to end. As I was reading the final pages, I thought, how can I part with Carrie Sun's life? This memoir was readable and oh-so-good. Carrie Sun pulls back the curtain on hedge funds.

I imagine a lot of people are like me in that they know hedge funds exist, but only vaguely know what it is they do. Private Equity is a behind-the-scenes look at the culture, leaders, decision-making and breakneck pace of hedge funds.

Carrie joined 'Carbon' as 'Boone's', the CEO, 'assistant' (I put that in quotes because her job is as demanding as any C-level leader, if not more so) after dropping out of MBA school. Don't take her attrition as a sign of short-sightedness, laziness, or lack of intelligence - Carrie is friggin' brilliant (that shines through in every sentence of this book) and is clear on her goals. She made it through MIT in 3 years with a double major and a minor, while high on drugs a good portion of the time.

Carrie's detail on her life as Boone's figurative backbone is so well-written, so visceral and so believable. As a reader, I could easily understand how Carrie continually persuaded herself that working at Carbon was the right thing to do. Boone's almost-sociopathic level of indulgence and kindness coupled with constant demands and no-holds-barred critique is reminiscent of abusive relationships. (Side note: Carrie also has those and there are trigger warnings for sexual assault and controlling behavior.)

Equally as fascinating as Carrie's workplace experience is her relationship with her parents. As a child, Carrie immigrated to the US from China with her parents. The culture Carrie describes in her household is just as foreign to me as the culture at Carbon. For example, when Carrie is dating a new boyfriend, her parents send her a letter, a missive really, begging her to leave him with a bunch of absolutely wild reasons why. I was blown away by Carrie's description of her relationship with her mother, the things her mother said, and the way Carrie continuously compartmentalized so that she could maintain the connection to her mother.

Overall, this is probably one of my favorite reads of 2023. Thank you to the publisher & NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. I can't wait to tell people about this one!

Favorite quotes:
"The best investors are masters of psychology: they buy up your mental real estate before you realize it's for sale."
"I hated those stilettos, but I was determined: I instructed my body to reclassify any pain as a necessary investment in myself, my future."

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of Private Equity in exchange for this review.

Carrie Sun recounts the story of her personal assistant job working for the head of a world-class hedge fund in this at once relatable and unbelievable memoir. Anyone who has ever felt overworked and under appreciated (is that all of us?) will find the broad strokes of this story familiar, though the specifics of the high-pressure and high-stakes intensity of Carrie’s position are surely unusual.

In the early months on the job, Carrie was focused on whether she could perform at the level demanded of her, always striving for more: more efficient, more effective, more intuitive. As time went on, however, she seemed to realize that the question should really be whether she should instead of whether she could.

This was an excellent read and I would recommend it to anyone contemplating their career trajectory, or just curious about how the other half lives. Watching Carrie move through her process of self discovery can lead us all to better identify our own values and begin to assess how our work aligns with our ideals.

One of my favorite books of the year - I couldn't believe it was a true story! I was so caught up in the world of private equity - something I know nothing about. I'd love to know who the book is actually about!

It took Carrie Sun more than eight years to write her memoirs about her time as the assistant to the head of one of New York's major private equity/hedge funds. It is a a captivating read, filled with astute observations about that rarefied atmosphere of billionaires behaving badly, with only the actual names changed to protect their deeds.
Sun spent two years with the firm, which she calls Carbon, and says how the firm wanted to know everything about her but gave nothing up in return. "Asymmetric knowledge is power," she wrote. She confronts early on her thoughts about her values and says, " there are the values we say we have, and those we strive to have."
She writes of the opposing forces that were driving her new life at the equity firm:, "All my parents wanted was to give me a chance at a better life and yet everywhere I felt in chains. All I wanted was to make my parents proud and happy.."
Part of the conflict in the memoir is set up by Sun's extended educational journey through MIT, Stanford and other top-tier places. She seems to collect different majors as a hobby, perhaps an obsession for higher learning. Or something. But ultimately, she decides the writer's life is her ultimate goal -- not marriage to her every-present foil "Josh" who is set to inherit mega-millions from his family business. That isn't the life that she seeks, and her journey is laid out in this book is a fascinating read.

She survived and awakened to a different reality. An overachiever by nature and upbringing she eventually survived toxic work situations that hid behind the need to gain wealth for company and self. She also survived the kind of toxic personal relationship where the man felt that she should serve him as he felt that he/his work was of greater importance. The writing was a bit pedestrian and rarely cohesive, but her struggles after awakening to her true value is of great importance.
I requested and received an EARC from PENGUIN GROUP The Penguin Press/Penguin Press via NetGalley.

Thank you Penguin/Random House publishers,author,Carrie Sun’s nf memoir,Private Equity and NetGallery for the arc ebook. To be honest,I had lost interest in this book very close to the beginning. It was so steeped in explanations of the financial industry and how hedge funds worked that was way over my ability to understand or wish to understand it. I had decided not to read any further. For some reason,the large list of characters,both in and out of the financial office on the Upper East Side of NY,City fascinated me.I resumed reading after a couple of days and did skip over the parts that were over-the-top business related.Carrie Sun is a brilliant math/engineer who decided to change careers but continue working in the same toxic environment to cause an overachiever to experience health and mental issues referred to as “burnout”.I found interesting how Carrie’s background being raised with very high standards as an only child of intelligent Chinese immigrants would cause issues with her adult working standards.What Carrie went through with her boss,ex boyfriend and co-workers would cause most people to get ill. I am glad I did finish this book and did not have many negative feelings about it at the end.

This is a female version of the movie, “Wall Street” from 1987 which reminds readers of the scene when Michael Douglas said, “Greed is good.” Or, “The Wolf on Wall Street” when Leonardo DiCaprio stepped into the shocking gluttony of money at parties.

Carrie Sun turned her back on an engagement with her wealthy boyfriend, Josh. He asked her to be his full-time wife, making him the sole breadwinner. The idea that she would have a career in finance was beyond his comprehension. Clearly, they didn’t need the extra income as he was taking over his father’s very successful business. She was energetic, smart and competitive. She took off her engagement ring and stepped into a full-time job.

Some said she had the best job ever in one of the top hedge fund companies. Boone was the CEO and she was his highly-efficient assistant. Her talents were beyond being an assistant but that’s what she wanted to do. He needed someone to organize his world and she did just that. It was rather exhausting reading about how she was trying to be the perfect employee working around the clock.

Sure, he gave her gifts to keep her going — thousand dollar spa treatments, fitness sessions, vacations, clothes and and shopping sprees along with a big salary. In return, he asked her to speak faster, do faster and decide faster. She would organize family gatherings when a $1,000 custom cake would be tossed in the garbage when nobody ate it. It’s when the gold was in the palms of their hands with no worries.

Yet, she did worry about the middle class that was paying taxes while Boone and his friends escaped it. He had no idea what it was like for the hard workers in America. He, and his capitalist friends, Jared and Ivanka, were living in luxury while many suffered. He told her, “Greed is good because it makes things predictable.” How long could she keep up with his ongoing demands? Her nerves were exploding.

This reminded me so much of the movies about the billionaires and yet, this is a true story. Carrie is an American-Asian immigrant who once was living in poor surroundings until she graduated from the best universities and able to find the American dream. It’s a book that makes you think especially when Boone said, “Money can solve nearly everything.”

The first part explains a lot about her work with the hedge funds which may lose some readers who may feel like they picked up a book on how to invest money. Yet, it follows up with the psychology of what it was like for her to be in this position with some inspirational messages. One may wonder why she was so attracted to Josh and Boone — both with deep pockets. She explains much of it in the second half of the book. As someone who wanted to write, she did just that and I will look forward to reading whatever comes next.

My thanks to Penguin Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book with an expected release date of February 13, 2024.

There are three job types at your company that you should always make an effort to have a good relationship with: IT, housekeeping and assistants. IT doesn’t really require an explanation-or it really shouldn’t. Housekeeping is not a fun job. But administrative/executive/personal assistant/secretaries are quite possibly one of the most important people in your office, and often they are not appreciated nearly enough for how they make everyone’s job easier, not just the person they report to. This is presented in an extreme example in Carrie Sun’s Private Equity. The book also explores the toxic atmosphere of working in an environment where the goal is to make more money for people that have more money than they know what to with, but still think they need more. Carrie herself doesn’t value it in the same way, giving the reader an outsider’s inside view to a world of wealth, privilege and presumptions. She spends much of the book talking about how great her boss is, but an objective reader will see this isn’t really the case. Boone doesn’t respect personal time and boundaries, objectifies Carrie in her appearance, and has no appreciation for the amount of work she does to streamline his ability to do his job. As someone who has done plenty of administrative work over the years the latter is not the slightest bit unusual-either because they’ve never had to do that type of job in the first place, or because they’re so far removed from doing it that they’ve forgotten the amount of work and coordination involved. In Carrie’s company presents are given in lieu of listening to what employees need to have to succeed and thrive in their roles. The smallest slip-up could be grounds for termination. There may be a few people that read this book that would be excited by the world Carrie lives in. The lack of boundaries and respect for employees’ life away from work was appalling to me. Boone’s (probably) oblivious criticisms of Carrie’s appearance and goals is embarrassing and disrespectful. For those who seek meaning in life this is a great wake-up call that money doesn’t eliminate problems; it just creates different ones. It’s all about what problems you want to have and the things you value in life. The book does periodically dive into the world of finance and hedge funds, and I will confess to zoning out some during these parts. Sun does a good job of relaying her experience in a way that asks the reader what they value in life and how they treat others around them without the gimmicky self-help feel of the books her boss values so much. A complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I loved this chronicle of a young woman's experience working as an assistant for a top hedge fund CEO. Carrie was raised in the US by immigrant parents. She is highly intelligent and , although her passion is for writing feels strongly obliged to achieve financial success as her parents had scarified to pay for her MIT education. She's burned out by her high pressure job (at which she is highly successful) and misunderstood by her boss, her parents and her boyfriend and needs to find a different path to happiness.

This is my kind of book. I love memoirs that take a hard look at certain types of companies - fashion, stock market, just to name a few.

Honestly, I did not like any of the characters in this story and it kind of freaks me out that this really happened.

Reading this was like getting an inside look at high finance and let's say it.....privileged white men run the markets. Boone was so typical of some of my bosses, it gave me chills and brought back memories that were not positive...actually made me feel so good about the fact that I am off the crazy rides driven by money.

Having said this, however, Carrie was a pain to read and I don't know why, other than to say that she was frustrating, not being remotely in tune with herself at all. She was so matter of fact about everything, the huge work load, her relationships, her friendships....all she kept saying was "i am tired". He relationship with Josh and her parents are good examples. She just went along, either by tuning out or by letting things go with the flow, which is usually a pretty good way to be, except that she did this with EVERYTHING. Even her ridiculous amounts of gifts and $ left you with a feeling that it was all just MEH!.

I struggled a bit with the actual writing. The author did not do a great job of linear writing. Josh, for example, has harassed her, for most of the book, and yet she casually drops, into the storyline, that they have started seeing each other again -almost like "oh, I have readers so I should probably tell them that Josh is in my life again" and does the very same thing when they break up again.

I think real, raw emotion is what is missing in this book. She never cries, she never yells, she never does anything bad.

Still, I loved this story. I know most of this review is pointing out issues with the book, but honestly I just loved to read about all of it, I felt like I got a front rom to such overindulgences.

After reading this memoir I congratulated myself on not choosing to pursue a career in “finance”. I often heard how soul-stripping it can be, especially for women. The author’s account of her experience in a boutique hedge fund confirms it. But her decision to accept a job there so she could pursue her true dream of becoming a writer baffles me a bit. She had to know how all encompassing a role as personal assistant to the CEO could be. And how she’d fall into the trap of having to dress and act the part of people who were only driven by money. However, she gave it her all and this story is really more about her passage to learning about herself and how to become the person she really wants to be..