AI Spend Is PE PortCos' #1 CFO Topic as Funds Cut Costs with Routers and Open Source
robleclerc · x · 2026-10-23
A thread on AI in private equity lays out the current state:
- Portfolio companies keep spending on AI but can't quantify ROI;
- Funds are acting to lower AI spend across portfolios via model routers and open-source options;
- Funds are pushing for off-the-shelf AI solutions;
- AI spend is now the #1 topic for portfolio CFOs.
Rob LeClarc adds that PE firms that can't generate ROI with AI — with low-hanging fruit everywhere — have no business running those companies.
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