Private equity investors received $568 billion in capital distributions last year, according to a report released August 14 by Preqin, which provides research on alternative investments.
The 2013 distributions, the highest annual amount ever recorded, compared with $381 billion of distributions in 2012.
Preqin's research showed that last year's distributions also surpassed capital calls by 46%, a record margin, following several post-crisis years when capital calls generally far outstripped capital returned to investors.
"The public equity market and general exit environment have created good conditions for private equity firms to sell assets, particularly companies bought at a discount in the period after the financial crash," Christopher Elvin, Preqin's head of private equity products, said in a statement.
