KKR

Founded in 1976 by Jerome Kohlberg Jr. and cousins Henry Kravis and George R. Roberts, KKR is a pioneer of the leveraged buyout industry. The founders previously worked together at Bear Stearns, where they completed some of the earliest bootstrap investments. The firm rose to international prominence with the 1989 takeover of RJR Nabisco, a deal that remained the largest leveraged buyout in history for nearly two decades and was chronicled in the book Barbarians at the Gate.

Today, KKR operates as a global investment firm serving institutional and wealth investors across three primary business segments: asset management, insurance, and strategic holdings. Its asset management arm encompasses private equity, real estate, infrastructure, and credit markets. The firm has evolved from its early focus on pure leveraged buyouts to a diversified platform that includes growth equity, venture capital, and long-term infrastructure investments.

The firm is headquartered at 30 Hudson Yards in New York City and maintains a significant global footprint with 20 offices across 16 countries. In recent years, KKR has achieved top rankings on the PEI 300 list and has expanded its reach into the insurance sector through the acquisition of Global Atlantic. As one of the world's largest alternative asset managers, it continues to play a major role in global capital markets and large-scale corporate restructurings.