482 Acquisitions in 16 Years: The John Malone Playbook

In this episode of 5 Minutes in the Lower Middle Market, we study one of the greatest capital allocators in history: John Malone.Most people know Malone as the architect behind cable giant TCI, where he reportedly completed 482 acquisitions between 1973 and 1989 — roughly one acquisition every other week. Fewer realize he is also widely credited with popularizing EBITDA and has become one of the largest private landowners in America.Timestamps:0:00 Why John Malone matters to every business buyer0:23 Building TCI through relentless acquisitions1:20 How TCI completed 482 acquisitions1:59 Why John Malone popularized EBITDA2:57 From cable empire to 2.2 million acres of land3:13 The largest private landowners in America3:50 What lower middle market operators can learn from John Malone