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Glossary

What is carry, or carried interest?

In investing, carry (also known as “carried interest”) refers to the share of profits that an investment fund manager (such as a private equity or venture capital fund manager) receives as compensation. It is usually a percentage of the profits (often about 20 percent) generated by the fund’s investments after returning the initial capital back to the investors.

Carry is a key component of the incentive structure that’s designed to better align the interests of the fund managers with those of the fund’s investors. Investors get their initial investment back (and may receive a hurdle rate, if applicable). Fund managers then receive a portion of the profits to catch up to the agreed carry percentage, and any remaining profits are then split according to the carry agreement.

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