Private Equity: What’s the Difference? One of the most important aspects of an IPO is the opening price—where the stock begins its exchange-listed life on its first day of trading. For example, during Facebook’s IPO in more than 80 million shares were bought and sold in the first 30 seconds through high-speed computer trading. Overall, an investor definitely has to work harder and overcome more obstacles when investing in a private firm as compared to a public one, but the work can be worth it as there are a number of advantages. Personal Finance. Investing in a public company may seem far superior to investing in a private one, but there are a handful of benefits to not being public. Family businesses may also prefer privacy and the handing of ownership across generations.