Henry Kravis Q&A: ‘Worry About What You Might Lose on the Downside’

Private equity holds trillions of dollars in assets, controls brand-name companies, and invests on behalf of pensions, endowments, and government funds around the world. Back in 1976, it barely existed. That’s when Henry Kravis, his cousin George Roberts, and their boss Jerome Kohlberg Jr. quit Bear Stearns and started their eponymous investment company, KKR, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary.

Kravis and Roberts, co-chief executive officers, have transformed not only how companies are bought and sold, but also how they’re run. They’ve also expanded the firm far beyond leveraged buyouts, diversifying into real estate and hedge funds as well as a few businesses once dominated by big banks. Today, through ownership stakes in more than 100 companies with a combined annual revenue of $200 billion, KKR indirectly employs almost a million people. Read more at Bloomberg