Karl Shmavonian

The Eagles, gridiron glasnost, Cheeseheads, goats that aren't the greatest of all time, and other factors complicate the opening of doors to more investors.

The five-year fundraising total for the top 10 on our list was just under $660bn, while the total for the top 50 firms was $1.63trn.

They've broken into the rarefied ranks of private equity as fundraisers and dealmakers – now they are taking the next step and starting their own shops.

One common denominator of the dealmakers on our list is determination – killing it is in their DNA. Says Suma Kulkarni of ACON: 'We don’t give up.'

MD and partner on the technology investing team for Carlyle, Tye is one of the most senior women across Carlyle’s entire global private equity platform.

We toast the work of six private equity firms for their highly successful deals made in 2021. Francisco Partners takes the top prize with its carve-out of medical device maker Capsule Technologies.

How we compiled our ranking of North America's top fund managers.

While there are promising signs, particularly in fundraising, the next few months are murky as investors try to gauge the markets in the second half.