This paper examines the main drivers of leverage in leveraged buyouts, and provides an explanation for the significant decrease in leverage in the aftermath of the financial crisis. We test market-varying factors by regressing leverage measures on potential drivers and find that leverage is largely driven by debt market conditions and private equity market activity. In particular, we argue that liquid debt markets impact buyout leverage more than other macro-factors, such as future view on equity markets and interest rates. Private equity market activity being a driver implies that leverage increases when markets are characterised by fierce competition. Moreover, the results also suggest that leverage determinants changed as a consequence of the financial crisis. Leverage is in recent years highly related to debt market liquidity and equity markets, but independent of private equity market activity. We argue that this is a consequence of increased macro awareness and more conservative views on company outlooks.