D avid Rubenstein is an American billionaire financier and philanthropist who is one of the three co-founders of The Carlyle Group, one of the world's largest and most successful private equity firms. A lawyer by training, he served as a domestic policy advisor in the Carter White House before co-founding Carlyle in 1987 with William E. Conway Jr. and Daniel D'Aniello.

While his partners focused on the investment side, Rubenstein's primary role was as the firm's chief fundraiser and public face. His deep network of global contacts and his skill in raising capital were instrumental in building Carlyle into a global investment giant. He has since stepped back from the day-to-day leadership of the firm, serving as co-chairman emeritus. He has reinvented himself as a prominent public intellectual and a leading philanthropist, known for his 'patriotic philanthropy' in which he has donated vast sums to restore American historical sites and documents, such as the Magna Carta and the Washington Monument. He is also the host of several television interview shows.