Are the barbarians again at the gate? Henry Kravis was the king of the barbarians back when the RJR Nabisco deal had Wall Street riveted. The common view is that he has since faded as a celebrity-mogul, but the fact is that Kravis, 63, has been a powerful presence on the New York's social and philanthropic scene ever since. With the private equity industry in overdrive and his deal for TXU wowing people, his Grand Old Man status is clear. While KKR is not the dominant fund any more, it has fared well. Kravis has done all this after the tumultuous 1990s, when his son Harrison was killed in a car crash and returns fell short of previous successes. He has emerged wiser, and at the top of his game.

For more:
- here's a profile from The New York Times