Goldman Sachs Alternatives

Goldman Sachs Alternatives was founded in 1986 as the merchant banking arm of Goldman Sachs, established during a period when major investment banks were formalizing their private equity operations. While the firm initially focused on traditional M&A advisory, it began making long-term equity investments in 1983 before formally launching its dedicated alternatives business to allow clients to participate in transactions alongside the firm.

Since 1992, the firm has transitioned from investing primarily proprietary capital to raising significant third-party capital from institutional investors, including pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, and insurance companies. Its flagship investment vehicles, such as the GS Capital Partners and West Street Capital Partners series, have raised tens of billions of dollars.

The firm maintains a broad focus across the alternative investment spectrum, including private equity, private credit, secondaries, real estate, infrastructure, and growth equity. It operates as a major subsidiary of Goldman Sachs, leveraging the parent firm's global network to source and execute large-scale transactions.