Module IV· Interview EssentialsIntermediate
Question
Paper LBO: A sponsor buys a company for 8x EBITDA; EBITDA = $50m → EV = $400m. EV with 50% debt. EBITDA grows 5% p.a., exit after 5 years at 8x. What is the IRR?
Answer
Step-by-step calculation:
- ENTRY — EV = $400m, Debt = $200m (50%), Equity = $200m.
- EBITDA in Year 5: $50 × 1.05^5 = $50 × 1.276 = $63.8m.
- EXIT EV = 8 × $63.8m = $510.5m.
- DEBT REPAYMENT — assume roughly 50% of the initial debt is repaid over 5 years → Debt at Exit ~$100m (rule of thumb: at 8x leverage and ~5% growth, free cash flow repays about half over 5 years)
- EXIT EQUITY = $510.5 − $100 = $410.5m
- MOIC = $410.5 / $200 = 2.05x
- IRR ≈ 2.05^(1/5) − 1 = 15.4% (rule of thumb: 2x in 5 years = ~15% IRR; 2.5x in 5 years = ~20%; 3x in 5 years = ~25%).
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Pitch tip
In a paper LBO, always assume debt repayment of 50% of the initial debt when nothing else is stated (the conservative default). And remember: the '5-year table' for IRR (rounded rules of thumb) is 1.5x→~8%, 2x→~15%, 2.5x→~20%, 3x→~25%, 4x→~32% — memorize it!