It was only a matter of time before some one came up with an idea to let the little investor in on private equity investing. Which strikes me as a marketing concept more than anything. One example is the Listed Private Equity Plus Fund, an open ended mutual fund that requires a minimum investment of just $1,000, according to TheStreet.com. There's also the PowerShares Listed Private Equity Portfolio, an ETF based on the Red Rocks Listed Private Equity index, which includes 30 public companies. The big issue here is that people are buying into the aftermarket. They're not getting the same upside on deals that private equity firms get for their limited partners. But the marketing guys can really run with the idea. Of course, one could always buy Blackstone Group shares.  

For more:
- here's the article from TheStreet.com

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