Merrill Lynch Global Private Equity

Founded in 1996, Merrill Lynch Global Private Equity (MLGPE) served as the merchant banking arm of Merrill Lynch. The firm was a major participant in the mid-2000s buyout boom, investing more than $5 billion in capital across more than 30 companies since its inception.

Following the acquisition of Merrill Lynch by Bank of America in 2009, MLGPE ceased making new investments. Its operations were integrated with Bank of America Capital Investors to form BAML Capital Partners, the majority of which later spun out to become Ridgemont Equity Partners in 2010. During the integration process, a significant portion of the original MLGPE team was eliminated.