Harbus

Issue date: 2/25/08 Section: News

Media Credit: Evgenia Eliseeva Jason Kreuziger (OJ), Finance Club Co-President, David Bonderman, Founder TPG, and Justin Silver (OG), Healthcare Club Co-President.

It is hard to know what to expect when you meet someone whose net worth approaches $3.5 billion. At age 65, David Bonderman's unassuming persona comes across as quite approachable, even sociable - rare qualities amongst the high-flying world of mega-billionaire financiers.

Contrast this with Bonderman's large physical frame, sunken eyes and deeply receded hairline which all reflect countless hours of jet-bound travel, heated negotiations, and headline topping dealmaking. Mr. Bonderman is an icon of his era, and his time with HBS students was used to share the wisdom of a lifetime with our aspiring HBS peers.

As one of the private equity industry's legendary rainmakers, Mr. Bonderman exuded patience, confidence and command of his industry as he spent 25 minutes discussing questions posed by faculty representative Professor Bill Sahlman, followed by 35 minutes of student-led Q&A. Having arrived 45 minutes late due to weather concerns (note: weather affects private jets the same as commercial aircraft), the discussion kicked off in typical fashion with a recount of Mr. Bonderman's background. A remarkable aspect was just how unremarkable his beginnings were. Public remarks noted Bonderman's undergraduate time at the University of Seattle - Washington followed by Harvard Law School; however, a private conversation with Bonderman's 90 year old uncle revealed the truth: "David did not demonstrate his potential until after he graduated from college. He was not a good student." Comforting words for those of us not destined to become Baker Scholars.
Following stints as an assistant professor, Fellow in Foreign and Comparative Law with Harvard University, and Special Assistant to the U.S. Attorney General in the Civil Rights Division, Mr. Bonderman charged into the dealmaking world - as a lawyer. This unconventional start allowed him to leverage his strength of recalling nuanced details while arguing cases of corporate, securities, bankruptcy and antitrust litigation in U.S. courts, including cases tried in the Supreme Court.

It was this ability to recall detail, effectively communicate his case and convince others of his position that led Bonderman first to the level of partner at the prestigious Washington DC law firm Arnold & Porter, and later to the roll of COO at the Robert M. Bass Group ("RMBG") in Fort Worth, Texas. In 1991, having developed the requisite skillset over the course of a decade in the buyout business, Mr. Bonderman left RMBG to begin the now legendary Texas Pacific Group ("TPG").

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