Henry Kravis helped define modern private equity by cofounding KKR and scaling leveraged buyouts from a small partnership into a global investment firm. [1][2]
Building KKR and the leveraged-buyout model
Kravis studied economics at Claremont McKenna College and earned an MBA from Columbia Business School before beginning his investing career. He worked with Jerome Kohlberg and his cousin George Roberts before the three formed Kohlberg Kravis Roberts in 1976. [2][1]
KKR became one of the firms most closely associated with the rise of leveraged buyouts, financing and acquiring companies across multiple industries. Kravis and Roberts remained central to the firm's growth for decades as KKR expanded beyond traditional buyouts into a broader global investment platform. [1][2]
KKR went public in 2010, later converted into a corporation, and grew into one of the world's largest alternative-asset managers. Kravis stepped down as co-chief executive in 2021 and became co-executive chairman, leaving his fortune tied mainly to the firm he built. [1][2]
KKR's assets under management and the enterprise values of companies held in its funds are not Kravis's personal assets. His wealth is tied to ownership in the management company and the economics generated by the investment business, while fund capital belongs to outside investors and portfolio-company value is shared across the relevant ownership structures. [1][2]
Sources for background
Sources reviewed Sep 15, 2026.
- Henry Kravis · Forbes · Mar 10, 2026
- Henry R. Kravis · KKR
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