Ohio Bureau of Workers Compensation, Columbus, plans to release the values of its 65 private investment portfolios, said Emily Hicks, spokeswoman. The figures are being released because of strong demand from the press in light of the recent scandals involving the $14.5 billion fund over the past year, she said. The fund hadn't released the figures previously because of sensitivity to its private equity managers, she said. The information will be made available in a press release in the next few weeks, said Ms. Hicks.
About 5% of plan assets are in private equity, Ms. Hicks said. The managers include ABRY Partners, ABS Capital Partners, Athenian Venture Partners, Carlyle Group, Castle Harlan, Charter Life Sciences, Draper Triangle Ventures, EDF Ventures, Edgewater Funds, Edison Venture Fund, Fort Washington Capital Partners and Fremont Partners.
Fred Schwarzer, a managing director at Charter Life Sciences, predicted some private equity firms would be upset with the BWC's announcement. "There definitely is sensitivity on the part of a lot of private equity firms as to specific information being revealed," he said, although he declined to comment specifically on his firm because he did not yet know what information BWC will release.
