Private equity is knocking on the doors of your 401(k), dressed up in slick marketing and lower investment minimums. Supposedly, it’s a breakthrough – “democratizing” returns once exclusive to deep-pocketed institutions. But with valuations high, exit markets thin, and performance lagging, this may feel more like an exit pole for PE managers, not a gift to savers.

Let’s talk tangible numbers. The American Investment Council puts private equity’s median annualized return at 15.2% over the past decade, compared to the ~12% return of the S&P 500. Cambridge Associates reports a ~12.09% net annual return for private equity over 25 years, versus 9.38% for the S&P 500.

But consider the S&P 500 Focus 50 Strategy, a concentrated index of America’s most profitable, dominant companies. This benchma

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