A Private Affair The private equity club is now accepting members--and you don't have to make millions to join.

With four businesses under his belt, two of which he sold for megamillions, 33-year-old Michael Lazerow qualifies as a serial entrepreneur. Therefore, he says, he's well positioned to invest in one of today's most coveted asset classes: private equity. It involves companies that seize other companies, spruce them up and (fingers crossed) sell them for a profit years later. The investment category regained its popularity in 2006 when there were more than 1,000 announced private equity deals in the U.S.

"Most of the money is made in finding the right deal," says Lazerow, whose newest venture, Buddy Media, is a New York City application development firm that serves social networking websites. "It helps if you have experience in the industry [you invest in]."