The Kings of Capital: David Rubenstein And The Carlyle Group

From Forbes: …..With $156 billion under management, Carlyle has more private equity funds, investors and assets than any other firm, including Blackstone Group, which manages $190 billion but has large real estate and fund of funds operations to complement its private equity group. Carlyle owns 209 companies, more than any other buyout shop, ranging from Hertz to Mrs. Fields cookies, and it has distributed $52 billion to its private equity investors since inception. Rubenstein and his two longtime partners, William Conway Jr. and Daniel D’Aniello, all rank near the top of FORBES’ inaugural statistical ranking of the top private equity dealmakers, which places a big emphasis on profitable investment exits and fundraising–two things Carlyle does as well as anyone.

“David Rubenstein is the most prolific fundraiser maybe the planet has ever seen in any field, not just private equity–and Bill Conway is one of the greatest investors I have ever met,” says Jimmy Lee, the JPMorgan Chase banker who has played a key role in the proliferation of the leveraged-buyout industry. “Those are the two businesses of private equity: raising money, because if you don’t raise money there is no business, and investing the money wisely, because if you don’t invest wisely, you can’t raise the money.”

And while the three Carlyle co-founders have been at the buyout game together for 25 years, they’re not slowing down….. Carlyle has been buying companies at a frenzied pace, outbidding and frustrating rivals, striking $16 billion in deals in 2012, more than any other private equity firm….

Want to find out more?  Check out http://www.forbes.com/sites/nathanvardi/2012/10/03/david-rubenstein-and-the-carlyle-group-the-kings-of-capital/