Henry Kravis

Henry Kravis

Founder at KKR & CO. INC.

Net worth: 8 335 M $ as of 2024-03-30

80 year
Finance
Consumer Services
Commercial Services

Profile

He had lived before in East of United States, and then moved in California to study at University of Claremont. In 1969 he got a MBA from Columbia University, and then with his cousin, George R Roberts, he joined the investment bank Bear Stearns. Both worked under the command of Jerome Kohlberg Jr. head corporate finance.

Kohlberg is a precursor of “bootstrap” buyout. He looks for a little enterprises and weakly valued or big group’s branch with the same problems, and then he helps the managers’ team to buy the company.

In 1976, after several negations from Bear Sterns to finance some of his projects, he left the Bank with Henry R Kravis and George R Roberts. Together they funded an investment firm; it will become one of the most important in U.S. the “Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & co", alias KKR.

In the followed six years, Henry Kravis made some partnership in order to buy, to reorganize (discharges, reduce costs, etc.) and to sell company’s assets non performing or branch, before to sell the company at price higher than that which it was bought.

Typically, in takeover’s operations KKR used its own funds for 10% of the purchase price and borrowed the rest, especially with “Junk Bonds” issues.

Among the companies, which were bought from KKR, we can find A.J. Industries, Lily-Tulip and Houdaille Industries. Houdaille Industries was the first big company listed in New York, which was bought with a leverage buyout.

In 1984, KKR made his fist LBO bigger than one million dollars. This was the Wometco’s takeover. In the same year KKR bought Amstar for $450 million and in 1986 he resold for $700 million.

In 1987, Jerome Kohlberg left the firm and Henry Kravis succeeded him as senior partner.

In 1988, KKR took control of RJR Nabisco (giant of tobacco and food and 19th among most big groups in US) for $25 billion, about two times the previous world record for the purchase of commercial enterprise. This biggest financial deal is a subject also of several movies, and instantly Henry Kravis and his cousin George Roberts were transformed as stars beyond financial world.

For its founding KKR, has completed buyout for more than $73 billion concerning 45 companies. Among these we can find Texaco, Gillette, Playtex, Samsonite, etc...Henry Kravis is now a member of the board of many companies (American-Re, Duracell, Union Texas Petroleum…)

In recent years, the results of firm were more mitigated. The firm is still controlled by Kravis and Roberts and it opened also an office in London. However, it lost many of his associates, including many who made his reputation in the 80s.

Kravis’s fortune is estimated at $5.5 billion and he is the 107th richest man in US.

Known holdings in public companies

CompanyDateNumber of sharesValuationValuation date
2024-03-05 82,870,688 ( 9.36% ) 8 335 M $ 2024-03-30

Henry Kravis active positions

CompaniesPositionStart
AXEL SPRINGER SE Director/Board Member 2020-01-08
KKR & CO. INC. Founder 1976-04-30
Chief Executive Officer 1975-12-31
Director/Board Member -
Director/Board Member -
Corporate Officer/Principal -
Director/Board Member -
Founder 1995-12-31
Director/Board Member -
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All active positions of Henry Kravis

Former positions of Henry Kravis

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See the detail of Henry Kravis's experience

Training of Henry Kravis

Claremont McKenna College Undergraduate Degree
Columbia Business School Masters Business Admin

Experiences
Positions held

Active

Inactive

Listed companies

Private companies

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Connections

100 +

1st degree connections

33

1st degree companies

Male

Female

Members of the board

Executives

See the personal network

Linked companies

Listed companies3
AMPHENOL CORPORATION

Electronic Technology

CHINA INTERNATIONAL CAPITAL CORPORATION LIMITED

Finance

KKR & CO. INC.

Finance

Private companies25

Health Services

Finance

Finance

Technology Services

Finance

Finance

Technology Services

Finance

Health Services

Miscellaneous

Finance

Electronic Technology

Commercial Services

Commercial Services

Consumer Services

Miscellaneous

Producer Manufacturing

Commercial Services

Finance

Sponsors For Educational Opportunity

Consumer Services

Finance

KKR Infrastructure (ANZ)

KKR Real Estate (Asia)

Finance

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