Toys "R" Us

Toys "R" Us's 2018 liquidation of all 800 US stores ended a 70-year retail institution. Saddled with $5.3 billion in debt from a 2005 leveraged buyout by KKR, Bain Capital, and Vornado Realty, the chain couldn't compete with Amazon's pricing and convenience, costing 33,000 jobs. That debt burden was 3.1 times the $1.7 billion golden parachute of WeWork's founder (#6), making private equity's role a rallying cry for reform. The buyout firms extracted $470 million in fees before the bankruptcy, leaving creditors with just 14 cents on the dollar.