An “investments” class usually covers stocks, bonds and cash. Every other type of asset class falls under “alternative investments”; this includes everything from real estate & hedge funds to cars, watches & art. These include, among others, hedge funds and private equity. The latter involves a form of equity investment in non-public companies, which take the form of buyouts and venture capital. That’s what we are going to cover in this class. In an environment of abundant liquidity and low interest rates, investors try to boost risk-adjusted return by resorting to alternative investments. This course provides an overview of these alternative investment outlets.