(MT Newswires) -- Tony James, President of Jefferson River Capital, traces the evolution of private equity and the wider world of alternative investments from the 1980s to the present day. Major players such as Kravis KKR, Steve Schwartzman Blackstone, David Rubenstein's Carlisle and Jim Coulter's TPG have gone from being financial hacks to established and important members of the investment community. Today, private equity represents some $12 trillion in assets, with Blackstone alone managing over $1 trillion in assets.

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