The man who bought Magna Carta

Why billionaires like David Rubenstein are far removed from the rest of us.

The billionaire David Rubenstein was once able to give a startling reply to the perennial marital question: "What did you do today, darling?" His answer: "I bought the Magna Carta".

The story comes from Chrystia Freeland, who's written a book, Plutocrats, about the rise of the super-rich. Rubenstein is undoubtedly a plutocrat, having amassed a personal fortune of around $1.9bn after starting the private-equity group, Carlyle. (Ex-employees include George W Bush and John Major.)

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