🎙Alt Goes Mainstream EP. 107 - Blue Owl GP Strategic Capital's Sean Ward - transforming GP stakes into an industry
by Michael Sidgmore, Co-founder & Partner at Broadhaven Ventures. | Originally published on Alt Goes Mainstream.
Guest post by Michael Sidgmore, Co-founder & Partner at Broadhaven Ventures. | Originally published on Alt Goes Mainstream.
Welcome back to the Alt Goes Mainstream podcast.
Today’s podcast illustrates just how far private markets have come. We dive into the world of GP stakes with Sean Ward, Senior Managing Director from Blue Owl’s GP Strategic Capital Platform, where he was a founding partner and is responsible for helping to oversee the firm that has done the lion’s share of GP stakes investing.
Blue Owl’s GP Strategic Capital business, which started out as Dyal Capital Partners, has accounted for over 61% of the total capital raised in the GP stakes space, closing on over $33.3B across their 7 funds and managing $57.8B AUM. They’ve taken minority ownership stakes in many of the industry’s leading alternative asset managers, accounting for 85%+ of all GP stakes deals $600M or greater in size.
Sean is a Senior Managing Director of Blue Owl Capital, Inc. and a member of the firm’s Board of Directors. He also serves as a member of the GP Strategic Capital Investment Team. Prior to joining Dyal Capital Partners, the predecessor firm to Blue Owl’s GP Strategic Capital platform, Sean was a Vice President at Lehman Brothers and held several roles at Neuberger Berman after it became an independent firm, including Senior Counsel for Neuberger’s alternatives business. Sean was also a lawyer at Covington & Burling LLP and Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP.
Sean and I had a fascinating conversation about the evolution of private markets through the parallel evolution of the GP stakes space. We discussed:
The early days of the GP stakes industry.
What it was like to convince GPs and LPs why stakes made sense.
How the $1B GP commitment by Bain Capital in their fund post-GFC really opened everyone’s eyes to the need to tap into financing as firms grew their fund size and their business.
A “cash in” rather than a “cash out.” Why GP stakes investing is mainly about positive selection since managers are choosing to sell a stake in their business.
How alternative asset management has evolved as a business.
How GP stakes investments have elements of bond-like coupons from cashflows due to management fees and option value from the upside of carry.
Why GP stakes investments are “the most diversified single line item investment one can make in private markets.”
Where allocators bucket GP stakes investments.
What makes a great GP stakes investor.
The power of permanent capital.
The different paths to liquidity in GP stakes investments.
Thanks Sean for coming on the show to share your views and wisdom on private markets. We hope you enjoy.
Show Notes
00:00 Introduction and Sponsor Message
01:17 Podcast Opening and Theme
02:00 Guest Introduction: Sean Ward from Blue Owl GP Strategic Capital
04:21 Sean Ward's Career Journey
05:14 The Evolution of GP Stakes Investing
06:23 The Start of GP Stakes at Blue Owl
06:57 Raising the First Fund
07:09 The Growth of Blue Owl's GP Stakes
07:31 The Importance of Legal Background in GP Stakes
09:48 Convincing LPs and GPs
11:14 The Importance of GP Commitments
15:23 Strategic Value Beyond Capital
24:45 Succession Planning in Private Equity
26:02 Impact of Market Conditions on GP Stakes
29:26 Underwriting and Returns in GP Stakes
36:33 Cash Flow and Diversification in GP Stakes Investments
37:48 Understanding the Trade-offs in GP Stakes Investing
38:35 Narrow Distribution of Potential Outcomes
40:09 The Importance of Diverse Professional Backgrounds
40:45 Collaborative Partnerships in GP Stakes
41:34 Traits of a Great Alternative Asset Manager
43:49 The Next Frontier: Private Wealth
45:13 Middle Market Strategy and Partnerships
49:34 The Evolution and Future of Private Markets
53:19 Liquidity in GP Stakes Investments
58:26 The Power of Permanent Capital
01:00:28 Is GP Stakes Better Than SaaS?
01:02:43 Exemplary Models for Growth in Asset Management
01:05:47 Conclusion and Final Thoughts