Bilge Yilmaz

Bilge Yilmaz serves as the Wharton Private Equity Professor and Professor of Finance at the University of Pennsylvania's The Wharton School, where he also directs the Harris Family Alternative Investments Program. His academic appointments include continuous service at Wharton since 1998 (with a gap in 2008-2009) and prior positions at Stanford University.

His educational background includes a PhD in Economics from Princeton University (2000) and a B.S. from Bogaziçi University (1991).

Yilmaz's research focuses on alternative investments, corporate finance, game theory, and political economy, with significant contributions to understanding financial regulation, corporate governance, and market microstructure. His work frequently examines information asymmetry in financial markets, including regulatory models, takeover bidding, and security design. He employs rigorous game-theoretic frameworks to analyze strategic interactions between market participants, regulators, and corporate boards.

His publication portfolio reveals consistent research output in top finance journals since 2004, with recent work (2017-2019) emphasizing governance structures and regulatory frameworks. The research demonstrates methodological sophistication through econometric modeling and theoretical extensions of classic finance frameworks like the Kyle model.

As an educator, Yilmaz teaches advanced finance courses including Advanced Corporate Finance (FNCE2030/FNCE7030), Corporate Restructuring (FNCE2910/FNCE7910), and specialized topics in private equity and shareholder activism. His Fall 2025 teaching load includes both undergraduate and doctoral-level instruction.

His professional activities extend to Knowledge at Wharton commentary on private equity trends, hedge fund industry analysis, and retirement investment structures, demonstrating engagement with contemporary financial market developments.