(FORTUNE Magazine) – After you've graduated with honors from Harvard law school, won an insider-trading case before the Supreme Court, toiled at a distinguished Washington law firm, taught law at Tulane University, saved historic buildings across the U.S., made millions for yourself and Robert Bass, and then helped rescue Continental Airlines--what do you do for an encore? If you're David Bonderman, chairman of Continental's board, you buy a lot of marshmallows and wine.

Bonderman, 53, along with his partners in the Fort Worth investing group Texas Pacific, recently paid $250 million for 78% of Kraft's caramel and marshmallow division, and $350 million for majority ownership in Nestle's U.S. wine business.

Why keep an eye on what Bondo's buying? A contrarian investor, he was part of the group that bought America West when the regional airline was losing big money. Now Phoenix-based America West is flying high and so is his stake in it. Well, what's next? How about oil and gas? Bonderman's group recently paid $40 million for a 45% holding in a petroleum company renamed Denbury Resources. Bonderman is known to research his deals with exceeding care. If he thinks oil and gas will rebound, stocks of similar companies might be worth a look.

Bonderman shuns interviews, including ones with FORTUNE reporters, but he loves to throw wild rock & roll parties. And he is renowned for wearing brightly colored socks. "There is little enough color in men's lives," Bonderman once said.

Hard to believe a guy like Bonderman has to look for extra color in his life.

--Anne B. Fisher