Lyndon Lea, founder of Lion Capital, has made a name for himself as a private equity investor in the consumer goods sector by both investing in and engaging with the management of some of the best consumer brands in the world. In this interview with James Rasteh, founder and CIO of Coast Capital, Lea outlines the insights he’s gained from his investments in brands like Jimmy Choo, Wagamama, Kettle Foods, and AllSaints. They also discuss Lea’s outlook for SPACs as someone who was using the vehicle long before the current boom, his views on the global luxury goods megatrend, and the advantage that disruptors have had in the consumer goods industry. Rasteh closes the interview with a rapid-fire section asking Lea whether he would be long or short certain assets and macro drivers like, “Would you be long or short the U.S. consumer and would you be long or short private equity?” Filmed on March 2, 2021.

Key Learnings: Lyndon Lea is bullish on the U.S. consumer, who he believes is the engine of the entire global economy and that disruptive and innovative brands will continue to have an edge over incumbents. He also argues that, with a few exceptions, the private equity model is failing and that he would be net short the asset class.