
The Rise of Evergreen Funds for Retail Investors to Enter Private Markets with Rafael
From Financial Modeler's Corner by Paul Barnhurst AKA The FP&A Guy
April 21, 2026 · 22 min
About this episode
Paul Barnhurst and Rafael Le Saux discuss the evolution of financial modeling and valuation in the context of AI and private markets.
In this episode of Financial Modeler’s Corner, Paul Barnhurst is joined by Rafael Le Saux to explore the real-world challenges of financial modeling, valuation, and how the role is evolving with new tools like AI. They discuss why strong modeling fundamentals still matter, the risks of poorly structured models, and how professionals can improve their skills in a rapidly changing environment. Rafael Le Saux is a valuation and modeling expert with over 16 years of experience in financial advisory and alternative investments. He leads Valuation and Modeling Services at PwC Deals and Strategy Luxembourg, advising clients on complex valuation matters across multiple asset classes. He has held senior roles at Partners Group and worked across multiple global markets and is actively involved in industry education and research. Expect to Learn Why is the model structure important Common mistakes in financial modeling How to improve Excel and modeling skills How AI is used in modeling today Why analysis and judgment still matter Here are a few quotes from the episode: |“Those Frankenstein models built from different sources are always the hardest to fix.” - Rafael Le Saux “When you work on…
People in this episode
Host: Paul Barnhurst
Guest: Rafael Le Saux
Topics covered
- financial modeling
- valuation
- AI in finance
- model structure
- skills improvement
- private markets
Keywords
- financial modeling
- valuation
- AI
- Excel skills
- private markets
- model structure
- investment
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: PwC Deals and Strategy Luxembourg, Partners Group
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