Driven by the convergence of international ?nancial public markets, investors around the globe are searching for alternative asset classes which provide diversi?cation of their portfolios while earning attractive returns. Private equity, denominating equity investments in privately held companies, promises to ful?ll both criteria. Over the last three decades, the global private equity industry has experienced an enormous growth. Private equity has become an important ingredient in the portfolios of institutional investors, such as banks, insurance companies and pension funds. Despite its...