Right now is one of the best times to invest in some of the most hated companies in U.S. history.

And while they may be "hated," they're also some of the most successful.

Their roots trace back to the corporate raiders of the 1980s. Tycoons such as Carl Icahn, Victor Posner and T. Boone Pickens are part of their lore. They've morphed into somewhat tamer asset managers since then, but they still find creative ways to generate high returns on capital.

I'm talking about private equity firms.