Private equity is everywhere. Firms like KKR, Blackstone, TPG, and Carlyle have a hand in what we wear and what we eat, by owning some of the world's biggest brands¿from Hilton to Dunkin' Donuts and Toys"R"Us to J. Crew. Their influence doesn't stop there. They're investing on behalf of governments, university endowments, and pensions, giving them responsibility for billions in retirement savings. The companies they own employ millions of workers. In The New Tycoons , Bloomberg News reporter Jason Kelly demystifies the complex world of private equity by telling the stories of the top firms and their leaders. The book details how their role as investors, owners, and employers has put them at the center of our lives. Through in-depth, exclusive interviews with private equity chieftains including Stephen Schwarzman, David Rubenstein, David Bonderman, Henry Kravis, and others, The New Tycoons explores a cottage investing industry that's blossomed into a global financial force. With on-the-ground reporting, personal observations and richly drawn anecdotes, Kelly takes the story far from Wall Street and into companies controlled by private equity, examining how the business affects us as workers and taxpayers. With the presidential candidacy of former Bain Capital CEO Mitt Romney, and the industry's deepening influence on Main Street, understanding private equity and where it's headed is more important than ever. The New Tycoons offers a compelling examination of a massive, often overlooked, economic engine. You'll discover the untold stories of the most important firms and game-changing individuals that own everything .