1. EachPod

20VC: Inside Carnegie Mellon's $4BN Endowment | Why 90% of LPs Shouldn't Invest in VC | The $140BN Problem with Multi-Stage Funds | The Hidden Math Behind DPI, TVPI, and Illiquidity with Miles Dieffenbach

Author
The Twenty Minute VC
Published
Mon 04 Aug 2025
Episode Link
https://thetwentyminutevc.libsyn.com/20vc-inside-carnegie-mellons-4bn-endowment-why-90-of-lps-shouldnt-invest-in-vc-the-140bn-problem-with-multi-stage-funds-the-hidden-math-behind-dpi-tvpi-and-illiquidity-with-miles-dieffenbach

Miles Dieffenbach is Managing Director of Investments at Carnegie Mellon University, where he helps oversee a $4 billion endowment with a focus on venture capital, private equity, and alternative investments. Under his leadership, CMU’s private book has remained self-funding during some of the toughest years for liquidity. 

Agenda for Today:

00:04 – "I Had Cancer at 26 – It Changed Everything"

07:00 – Inside the $4BN Carnegie Mellon Endowment: The Investment Blueprint

10:45 – Are LPs Getting Screwed in Venture?

13:30 – 90% of LPs Shouldn’t Be in Venture – Here’s Why

16:00 – Seed Funds Are a Trap (And No One Wants to Admit It)

20:00 – The $140BN Problem with Multi-Stage Funds

24:00 – "Index Is the Best in the Game – Here's Why They Win"

29:30 – "The Dirty Secret of LPs: Brand Over Performance"

34:30 – "When Founder-Friendly Goes Too Far"

38:00 – "The OpenAI Bubble – Will It All Go to Zero?"

44:00 – "Ping Pong Diligence & Wildest Fundraising Stories"

 

Share to: