No Iconoclasts Here: Just PEUs

Carlyle Group co-founder David Rubenstein interviewed Carlyle CEO Harvey Schwartz at Forbes Iconoclast Summit.  Rubenstein did his usual affable, low key job of lobbing softball questions.  Schawartz joked during the session that "none of this had been rehearsed."  

Questions included the migration of private equity executives into White House administrations, the ethical benefits of working for a private equity underwriter (PEU) and how it contributes to a "good life."  They tackled the Presidential election and which is harder, firing people or working as a bouncer in a nightclub.  

Rubenstein worked hard to make Harvey look somewhat accessible.  Neither man looked like an iconoclast given private equity's "holy grail" status.

The PEU infomercial covered why anyone should invest in private equity.  The session closed with Rubenstein asking if Harvey was stranded on a deserted island and could only have one magazine, what would it be?  Harvey said "Forbes" and the moderator said "Right answer."  Thus punctuating the non-iconoclast nature of the session.