The future of private equity has a rich history.

Summary Without claiming to provide the answer to a question that is of interest not only to business historians but also to business professionals and public authorities, this article first explains what private equity is. It then describes the archives of the main association that represents this sector of activity and its practitioners: the Association Française des Investisseurs pour la Croissance (AFIC). Finally, the article outlines the research directions that can be envisaged by using these new primary sources....