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Private Equity refers to a form of investment strategy that involves investing directly into private companies or conducting buyouts of public companies that result in a delisting of public equity. Investors in private equity aim to acquire majority control of companies, so they can have significant influence over financial management and strategic business decisions. This type of investment is typically made by private equity firms, venture capital firms, or angel investors using funds pooled from high net worth individuals, pension funds, charitable endowments, and other institutional investors. The goal is to generate high returns through operational improvements, strategic repositioning, and financial engineering over a holding period that usually ranges between four to seven years. Private equity investments can be made in various stages of a company's life cycle, from early-stage venture capital to mature leveraged buyouts.