{
  "id": 5202527,
  "title": "Why wait? Business grads buying firms to install themselves as CEO",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/02/why-wait-business-grads-buying-firms-to-install-themselves-as-ceo",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-09-02T23:13:44.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "BBC Business",
    "slug": "bbc-business",
    "url": "https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/czxqpqrzq01o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "An MBA graduate from Dartmouth College's Tuck School of Business, Ania Aliev, purchased a medical equipment company known as Life Support Systems just three months after giving birth to her son. Aliev, who was only 27 at the time, took on the role of CEO despite her lack of experience in the industry. This practice, known as entrepreneurship by acquisition or search-fund investing, involves a young entrepreneur borrowing money to purchase an existing firm and become its CEO. In 2023, a record 94 such funds were established in the US with $682 million invested. Although some employees welcomed Aliev's leadership and her focus on growth, others left the company or were made redundant due to their resistance to change. A similar case arose in 2018 when Scott Duncan, an MBA graduate from Harvard Business School, attempted to acquire and operate F&M Tool and Die, a company in Massachusetts. Despite his best efforts, Duncan struggled to run the business and was forced to shut it down in 2025 due to various challenges, including the Covid pandemic, cheaper Chinese competition, and a flooded workshop. Duncan now advises caution for young entrepreneurs who may be overconfident in their abilities.",
  "summary": "Impatient to be the boss of an established company they are borrowing money to fund their purchases.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}