“This is a major event,” says Clifford Chance’s (CC’s) Matthew Judd, summing up the mood in the City. “In many ways this represents the Holy Grail for funding.”

Heady stuff by the standards of seasoned funds partners, but it is a long time since an innovation in corporate finance attracted as much interest as Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co’s (KKR’s) $5bn (£2.7bn) initial public offering last month.