The Alpha, Beta, and Consistency of Private Equity Reported Returns: The reported returns of U.S. private equity funds are benchmarked against passive exposures from public equity markets. Over the full sample period, private equity returns display three factors: market beta of less than one, small transaction size and growth, and a four-quarter lag behind public markets. Buyout funds delivered alpha of about 5.5% per annum; venture capital performed poorly. Closer examination reveals that these estimates are inconsistent over time, cautioning against extrapolation from historical averages