Jacobson & Co.

"1984 Nicolas Berggruen founds the Alpha Private Equity Group (APEG). It is his first own investment firm. Parts of the family fortunes of Nicolas Berggruen and his partner, billionaire's son Julio Mario Santo Domingo Jr., form the initial capital. APEG becomes Nicolas Berggruen's ticket to big business. Due to his experience at Jacobson & Co., he also knows how to acquire investors. The Forbes Magazine (from February 23, 2000) states: “Much of the public interest in APEG was due to the family history of the two principals as founding partners. This connection opened important doors for the new firm.”"

"1983–1987 His career progresses at a rapid pace. At the age of 22, he joins Jacobson & Co., a leveraged buyout company in New York, as a partner. Such companies are defined as those that work with borrowed capital. To buy in there, he borrowed $250,000 from his father, as he emphasizes in various interviews. This amount marks the cornerstone of his business. What he does not talk about is the network bonus he also had through his father, who was active in New York. Good contacts are essential. One may assume that an art dealer like Heinz Berggruen would have a notebook with the private phone numbers of wealthy clients."