KKRs

KKRs refers to Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co., a global investment firm known for its role in the development of large-scale leveraged buyouts and its management of a broad range of alternative assets. Founded in 1976 by Jerome Kohlberg Jr., Henry Kravis, and George Roberts, the firm earned a reputation for structuring complex capital packages and strategic improvements in portfolio companies. It operates across private equity, credit, infrastructure, real estate, and other alternative investment strategies.

Historically, KKR pioneered large leveraged buyouts and grew into a diversified investment platform with a global footprint. The firm’s most famous early deal was the 1989 buyout of RJR Nabisco, which popularized the concept of high-value LBOs and became a symbol of the private equity industry. In the following decades, KKR expanded internationally and broadened its product lines beyond traditional private equity. The corporate entity later listed its publicly traded parent, KKR & Co. Inc., and has since developed multiple investment platforms to manage funds, credit strategies, and capital markets activities.

Business operations are organized around several platforms, including private equity, credit, real assets, and real estate, often administered through funds raised from limited partners and managed by KKR personnel. The firm also maintains publicly traded entities such as KKR Capital Corp that focus on credit investments. Assets under management are substantial and span across regions, industries, and capital structures, reflecting a multi-asset approach designed to balance risk and return.

The term “KKRs” is sometimes used to refer collectively to the firm and its affiliated funds and platforms, though the branding is typically presented as “KKR.” The organization remains a major player in the private equity and alternative investment landscape, subject to ongoing scrutiny and governance, sustainability, and regulatory considerations.