October 1, 2001
The end of the new technology bubble has burned lots of investors in Latin America. It has also made venture capital, virtually unknown to Latin America prior to the Internet boom, a dirty word.
The best time to invest is often when most other investors are heading for the exits, selling out at rock-bottom prices. Yet with Argentina, once a favorite stomping ground for private equity investors, at the edge of default and the world economy headed for recession, there is little appetite among investors for playing the contrarian.
Goldman Sach's $500 million investment in the Clarin
media group marked the apogee of private equity
investment in Latin America
Says Tim Purcell, general partner in JP Morgan Capital Partners, "Some investors today are wondering if it is worth pursuing this activity. Th