Former Paul Weiss Lawyer is Busy Giving Away Much of His $2.7B

Now that he's 60, David Rubenstein hopes to be busier than ever.

A self-described workaholic who routinely returns e-mails within three minutes, according to the president of the Kennedy Center, Rubenstein is now focusing on how best to spend a substantial portion of his $2.7 billion in assets, reports the New York Times.

His high-profile donations include the purchase of a 710-year-old copy of the Magna Carta, which he bought for $21.3 million in 2007 and gave to the National Archives in Washington, D.C., the newspaper recounts. He also serves on the boards of, and donates to, some 30 major institutions, and has funded scholarships and performing arts projects.

Rubenstein's resume includes a stint at Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison. But he made most of his money, according to Forbes, through helping to establish a private equity concern known as the Carlyle Group in 1987, for which he serves as managing director. He grew up in a family that wasn't wealthy, and tells the Times that he went to Duke University and the University of Chicago Law School because they offered him the biggest scholarships.

In addition to giving away money through his philanthropy, Rubenstein is providing for his three adult children and supports the work of his wife, Alice Rogoff, who co-founded and chairs the Alaska Native Arts Foundation.

Some things in life, he notes, money can't buy.

“Being happy in life is not easy,” he tells the Times. “I would give up all the money I have if I could be 50. You can always make money.”