| Henry Kravis co-founded Kohlberg, Kravis, | | | | The failing credit market impeded future deals, as |
| Roberts & Co. and pioneered the buyout business | | | | well as threatened to break deals that were in |
| in the 1970s. He has managed to stay at the top | | | | the process of being negotiated. The subsequent |
| of his field for over three decades now. | | | | mortgage issues managed to delay his plans to |
| Beginnings | | | | take KKR public. Also damaged by the credit crisis |
| Henry Kravis attended a prep school in | | | | was KKR Financial, an affiliated mortgage-related |
| Connecticut as a child and headed off to | | | | securities investment fund. In 2008, Kravis sold |
| Claremont McKenna in California. Reportedly, | | | | off Kohlberg, Kravis, and Roberts' controlling stake |
| Henry spent his freshman year without much | | | | in the company. |
| focus. However, by his senior year, Henry Kravis | | | | Retirement |
| managed to turn things around and earned a spot | | | | Henry Kravis retired in 1987, but his name is still |
| at Columbia Business School. He later ended up at | | | | embossed on his old office door. The third |
| Bear Stearns with thanks going to an intervening | | | | founding member of KKR, George Roberts, |
| cousin, George Roberts, who worked at the firm. | | | | continues to work at the company, with his main |
| Jerome Kohlberg became a mentor to both men | | | | base of operations being located in Menlo Park. |
| and taught them about leveraged buyouts (LBO), | | | | Personal Causes |
| or "bootstrap acquisition." Later all three men | | | | Henry Kravis has been the city's most active |
| joined forces to found Kohlberg, Kravis, Roberts | | | | philanthropist and has been a board member at |
| & Co., an early pioneer in the LBO business. | | | | Mount Sinai since 1981. In 1988, he donated $10 |
| One of the most notable contributions by Henry | | | | million dollars to Mount Sinai and has since |
| Kravis for KKR was a $31 billion hostile takeover | | | | contributed millions more, including a $15 million |
| of RJR Nabisco. This feat was later chronicled by | | | | dollar contribution in 2002 to fund the hospital's |
| John Helyar and Bryan Burrough in Barbarians At | | | | Valentin Fuster-led heart center. In 2006, Henry |
| The Gate. This accomplishment transformed him | | | | donated over $10 million dollars to the Columbia |
| into one of the most prominent financiers of his | | | | Business School and has underwritten a wing at |
| time. Nearly thirty decades after its original | | | | the Metropolitan Museum, as well as two galleries |
| founding, KKR remains one of the top companies | | | | at MoMA. |
| in private equity circles. | | | | Campaign Support |
| Notable | | | | As a reliable Republican party donor, Henry Kravis |
| In 2006, Henry Kravis orchestrated a $33 billion | | | | actively raised money for both of President |
| dollar deal to acquire the country's largest chain of | | | | George Bush's campaigns and played a part in |
| hospitals, HCA and then further impressed his | | | | organizing the Republican convention in New York |
| colleagues with a $45 billion dollar buyout of the | | | | in 2004. When 2007 arrived, Henry announces his |
| energy company TXU combined with TPG and | | | | official support for Senator John McCain and |
| Goldman Sachs. | | | | additionally signed on as New York state's |
| During the summer of 2007, the often frantic | | | | fundraising co-chair. |
| deal-making stance of KKR came to a quick halt. | | | | |