In his doctoral thesis the author examines the perception, acceptance and experiences of and with private equity among middle-sized family businesses, thereby differentiating between businesses with and without private equity. Altogether he carried out 40 interviews with present and former family businesses or with their owners. The study highlights the high degree of rejection and low level of acceptance of private equity among middle-sized family businesses. Where the interviewees have personal experience with private equity, however, their appraisals and points of view tend to be more positive, whereby minority shareholding and total sales and especially between the different types of private equity companies must be differentiated.