David Rubenstein
David Rubenstein
David Mark Rubensteinis an American financier and philanthropist best known as co-founder and co-chief executive officer of The Carlyle Group, a global private equity investment company based in Washington D.C. He is also currently serving as chairman of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and chairman of the board of trustees at Duke University, his alma mater. According to the Forbes ranking of the wealthiest people in America, Rubenstein has a net worth of $2.5 billion...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionEntrepreneur
Date of Birth11 August 1949
CountryUnited States of America
Europe is more attractive than the U.S. and Asia, where there are fewer opportunities for restructuring.
Right now we're operating as if the music's not going to stop playing and the music is going to stop. I am more concerned about this than any other issue.
Probably in 2035 we will pass that mantle on to China. It will be the biggest economy in the world, and it will go way past us and way past India. Given the growth, the size, the opportunities, I don't think there's any other place in the world that can match it.
We intend to be much more active in the wind, power, solar energy, biomass and geothermal areas.
Of course Ken Starr was the leader of the impeachment movement against Bill Clinton and we are not particularly thrilled about him coming. However, we want to hear what he has to say.
My father worked in a post office and never made probably more than $8,000 a year as an employee of the post office, so when people can rise up from very modest circumstances and do well economically, I think that's a good thing about America, and we should encourage that kind of activity.
It might be easy to buy into these ... when things are going good. I worry these deals don't look so smart when economies turn down.
I realised how rich I had become and I asked myself, 'Do I really want to be the richest person in the cemetery?
Anybody who gives away money is mostly looking at things where they think they can make a difference. I'm trying to help people who helped me, educational institutions that helped me with scholarships, or organizations that were very useful to me in growing up.
I don't really try to get involved politically by giving money to politicians or by saying I'm a Democrat or Republican. Right now, I just view myself as an American.
For me, few things are more compelling than watching a great opera.
My work life is intense. But I love what I do.
I've given some money to the scholarships in the District of Columbia, to the best students in D.C... many of the students have written me letters telling me they could not have afforded to go to college without the scholarship and money I've given them.
Moneymaking was never anything to me. I was happy never making money; I just was happy doing things I liked. But I fell into the money thing. I now don't feel guilty about it, but I am determined to give away the bulk of it and enjoy doing it.