The Globe and Mail reports in its Saturday edition that a stunning $1-trillion (U.S.) in capital -- nearly double the amount available in 2012 -- is sitting on the sidelines, waiting to be put to work by private equity investors around the world. The Globe's Jeffrey Jones and Jacqueline Nelson write that so many firms are chasing deals that it is creating the most competitive investment climate in more than a decade. In addition to that heap of cash, hundreds of billions of dollars are piling up in funds devoted to other private asset classes. Today there are 3,484 private capital funds courting investors for yet more money, according to alternative asset data firm Preqin. It is enough to remind some people of the exuberant mood right before the financial crisis, when 12 of the largest 15 corporate leveraged buyouts ever were done. For many of Canada's private-market investors such as Onex and Brookfield Asset Management there is more at stake than ever before. Over the past decade, the big Canadian funds have grown bigger. However, The Globe notes, having a spot at an increasingly crowded investment table presents a new test. The last time the buyout market collapsed, the list of casualties was long.