This week, the cofounder of the Carlyle Group, David Rubenstein, paid $21.3 million for a copy of the Magna Carta. In an offbeat way, is this a sign of optimism for the private equity space?

Well, today Rubenstein gave an interview with CNBC. Basically, he thinks there are some compelling investment opportunities – especially in energy, healthcare, and financial services. What's more, he's bullish on emerging markets. He's not only excited about China but even Africa and the Middle East. For example, in Africa, Rubenstein thinks there are opportunities for mining/minerals, financial services, and telecom.

Although, things may be remain somewhat slow in terms of deal activity, at least in the US, Rubenstein thinks sellers may be in denial on valuations. Also, to get deals done, private equity funds will probably need to pony up more equity. But, with the huge amounts of capital in these funds, that shouldn't be hard to do.

Tom Taulli is the author of various books, including The Complete M&A Handbook and The Edgar Online Guide to Decoding Financial Statements. He also operates DealProfiles.com.

It's been fairly slow for private equity dealmakers lately. So what to do? How about spend $21.3 million for the Magna Carta?

Well, that's what Carlyle's co-founder, David Rubenstein, did yesterday at Sotheby's.

Actually, Rubenstein is a political junkie. Rubenstein served as deputy domestic policy advisor in President Carter's White House. His political savvy has been a nice complement to his dealmaking.

Of course, the Magna Carta is an amazing document, which helped to spark revolutions, such as free speech and even capitalism.

The good news is that Rubenstein isn't going to have the document as an ornament for his office. Instead, he plans to lend it to the National Archives.

The prior owner was the outspoken billionaire, Ross Perot, who purchased the document in 1983 for a mere $1.5 million.

Tom Taulli is the author of various books, including The Complete M&A Handbook and The Edgar Online Guide to Decoding Financial Statements. He also operates DealProfiles.com.