But under a production-sharing agreement, the Kazakh government still stands to make a lot of money if the oil does flow: it will take an 80% share of any profits.

ECONOMIST: Kazakhstan

And we initiated the most aggressive -- what we call look-back provisions -- when it comes to regulations, where we say to every agency, go through all the regulations that you have on your books that flow through your agencies and see if some of them are still necessary.

WHITEHOUSE: President Obama at LinkedIn Town Hall

Since private-equity returns still top most other investments, money is expected to continue to flow to buyout pros, even if it comes at a slower pace.

WSJ: Private-Equity Firms Forced to Evolve