Henry Kravis
Born 1944 · Age 82
American businessman, investor and philanthropist; co‑founder of private equity firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (KKR); pioneer of leveraged buyouts.
Compare Your Trajectory
See how your career milestones stack up against Henry Kravis and other industry leaders.
Life & Career Timeline
Born in Tulsa, Oklahoma
Henry Roberts Kravis born to Bessie (née Roberts) and Raymond F. Kravis in a Jewish family in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Completed education at Eaglebrook School
Attended Eaglebrook School (listed class of '60).
Graduated Loomis Chaffee School (approx.)
Attended Loomis Chaffee School; participated in student government and elected vice president of student council his senior year.
Stern Metals buyout (early LBO activity)
Stern Metals (1965) cited as one of the early 'bootstrap' buyouts performed by the Kohlberg group (context for Kravis' early work with Kohlberg & Roberts).
Graduated Claremont McKenna College (BA, Economics)
Completed a B.A. in economics; four-year varsity golf team member; member of Knickerbockers student service org; served as sophomore class secretary‑treasurer.
Summer job at Madison Fund
Worked at the Madison Fund (closed-end mutual fund) after college — early on-the-ground corporate calls and meetings that shaped his approach.
MBA from Columbia Business School
Received an M.B.A. from Columbia University (Columbia Business School).
Joined Bear Stearns corporate finance
Joined Bear Stearns with cousin George R. Roberts; worked under Jerome Kohlberg Jr. and learned 'bootstrap' / early leveraged buyout techniques.
Incom buyout (Rockwood division)
Acquisition of Incom (industrial components division of Rockwood/Rockwell) — yielded a very large return (reported 22x in some sources).
Cobblers Industries acquisition
Part of early series of buyouts while at Bear Stearns; Cobblers Industries (1971) was a $27 million investment that ultimately ended in bankruptcy.
Birth of son Harrison S. Kravis
Harrison S. Kravis born (later died in 1991).
Boren Clay buyout
Boren Clay (1973) listed among early leveraged acquisitions undertaken by Kohlberg-Kravis-Roberts team at Bear Stearns.
Became partner at Bear Stearns
Henry Kravis became a partner at Bear Stearns at about age 30 (George Roberts became partner at 31).
Largest Bear Stearns acquisition involvement (Incom/1975 closing)
Involvement in a major Bear Stearns acquisition (Incom industrial group) that culminated in 1975; marked the end of a string of early LBOs.
Birth of daughter Kimberly Kravis Schulhof
Kimberly Kravis (later Kimberly Kravis Schulhof) born.
Served as interim CEO of Advo
Faced with a failing direct mail company Advo, Kravis served as interim CEO in 1976 (reference in sources).
Co‑founded Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (KKR)
Left Bear Stearns with Jerome Kohlberg and George R. Roberts to form Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. (KKR). Founders invested seed capital: Kohlberg $100,000; Kravis and Roberts $10,000 each (combined ~$120,000).
KKR raised first institutional fund (~$30M)
After ERISA revisions, KKR successfully raised its first institutional fund with approximately $30 million of investor commitments.
KKR's first billion‑dollar buyout: Wometco
KKR completed its first billion-dollar buyout with the acquisition of Wometco Enterprises.
Acquired Amstar for $465M
KKR and partners paid $465 million to acquire sugar refiner Amstar.
Beatrice Companies takeover and break‑up
KKR outbid competitors for Beatrice Companies and proceeded to dismantle the conglomerate; this produced significant returns for investors.
Married Carolyne Roehm
Kravis married New York designer Carolyne Roehm in 1985 (divorced 1993).
Sold Amstar for $700M
Amstar was sold in 1986 for approximately $700 million — profitable exit for KKR.
Jerome Kohlberg resigned; Kravis became senior partner
Jerome Kohlberg Jr. left KKR; Henry Kravis and George Roberts continued to lead the firm with Kravis as senior partner.
Received Golden Plate Award (American Academy of Achievement)
Awarded the Golden Plate Award by the American Academy of Achievement.
Led KKR's leveraged buyout of RJR Nabisco
KKR completed a headline-grabbing leveraged buyout of RJR Nabisco after a five-week bidding war. Various sources cite transaction figures from ~$24.5B to $31.4B; Wikipedia lists $31.4 billion.
Barbarians at the Gate book published
Bryan Burrough and John Helyar published Barbarians at the Gate, chronicling the RJR Nabisco buyout and KKR's role (heightened Kravis' public profile).
Death of son Harrison S. Kravis (car accident)
Son Harrison (born 1972) died in a car accident at age 19 (NYT reported July 16, 1991).
Divorce from Carolyne Roehm
Kravis and Carolyne Roehm divorced (married 1985 — divorced 1993).
Married Marie-Josée Drouin
Married Marie-Josée Drouin, a Canadian economist and prominent civic figure (third marriage for Kravis).
KKR divested remaining RJR Nabisco holdings (took loss)
In early 1995 KKR finished divesting remaining holdings in RJR Nabisco, ultimately taking an overall loss on that investment and pledging to avoid overconcentration in future funds.
Co‑founded Republican Leadership Council
Joined with Lewis M. Eisenberg to establish the Republican Leadership Council (political involvement).
Death of ex‑wife Hedi Kravis
Helene Diane 'Hedi' Kravis (first wife) died of cancer on April 2, 1997 at age 49 (she had remarried after divorce).
KKR reported with ~$71 billion in assets (circa)
Public mentions noted KKR as a private equity firm with tens of billions of assets (American Academy noted ~$71B figure in profile context).
Established Henry R. Kravis Prize in Nonprofit Leadership
Founded the Kravis Prize (administered by Claremont McKenna College) to identify and celebrate leaders in the nonprofit sector; affiliated with Kravis Leadership Institute.
KKR-led acquisition of TXU (Energy Future Holdings) (~$45B)
KKR participated in the 2007 purchase of TXU (later Energy Future Holdings) — reported at roughly $43–48 billion; commonly cited at $45 billion, then the largest buyout ever.
KKR became publicly traded
KKR went public in 2010, converting from a private partnership to a publicly traded firm and expanding its product lines.
Pledged/gave $100M to Columbia Business School
Announced a $100 million gift to Columbia Business School to support construction of new campus facilities (largest in school history at the time).
Major philanthropic support to museums & hospitals (multi‑year)
Reported contributions and endowments exceeding $100M to institutions including MoMA, Mount Sinai, Memorial Sloan‑Kettering, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art over multiple years.
Named co‑chair / major donor to Columbia Business School Board of Overseers
Co‑chaired Columbia Business School Board of Overseers and pledged major gift (part of the $100M donation toward Manhattanville campus project).
Gift to Memorial Sloan‑Kettering (Center for Molecular Oncology/$100M)
Henry and Marie-Josée Kravis gave a $100 million gift to establish a Center for Molecular Oncology at Memorial Sloan‑Kettering Cancer Center (reported 2013).
Endowed Mount Sinai Cardiovascular Center ($15M) and professorship
Henry and Marie-Josée Kravis donated $15 million to Mount Sinai Medical Center to establish the Center for Cardiovascular Health and funded a professorship.
KKR closed first real‑estate fund (~$1.2B new money)
KKR closed its first real‑estate-specific fund on Dec 24, 2013 raising ~$1.2 billion of new capital and ~ $1.5 billion including other KKR resources.
Named chairman of Sponsors for Educational Opportunity
Appointed chairman of Sponsors for Educational Opportunity (SEO), a nonprofit promoting access and career opportunities.
Named chairman of The Business Council (served earlier)
Served on and chaired The Business Council (reported membership on executive committee for 2011-2014; listed as former chairman).
Chairman of Sponsors for Educational Opportunity (SEO)
Assumed chairmanship of SEO, an organization focused on career and educational access for underserved students.
Investment Management Lifetime Achievement Award
Received Investment Management's Lifetime Achievement Award for career contributions to private equity and investing.
Columbia Business School Centennial Award & Atlantic Council Distinguished Leadership Award
Honored by Columbia Business School and the Atlantic Council for contributions to business and public leadership.
Contributed $1M to Presidential Inauguration (Donald Trump)
Reported contribution of $1 million toward President Donald Trump's 2017 inauguration events.
Co‑chair / longtime leader of Partnership for New York City
Served as co‑chair with Jerry Speyer and remained on board of Partnership for New York City (David Rockefeller–founded organization); helped create Partnership Fund for NYC and NYC Investment Fund.
Announced succession plan: Joe Bae & Scott Nuttall named co‑presidents
KKR announced Joseph Y. Bae and Scott C. Nuttall would be co‑presidents and co‑COOs to prepare for eventual succession from Kravis and Roberts.
Listed Colorado ranch for $46M
Listed a 4,600+ acre Colorado ranch for sale for approximately $46 million (reported by Forbes 2018/2019 coverage).
Received Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy
Awarded the Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy in recognition of long-term giving and philanthropic leadership.
KKR closed deal to buy Global Atlantic (added ~$90B AUM)
KKR closed a deal to acquire Global Atlantic Financial Group Ltd., adding approximately $90 billion of assets under management to the firm.
Listed among top private equity founders stepping back
Public commentary and reporting in October 2021 marked Kravis (and Roberts) stepping back as operational CEOs after 45+ years leading KKR; widely covered in press.
Stepped down as co‑CEOs, became co‑executive chairmen of KKR
Henry Kravis and George Roberts stepped down as co‑CEOs of KKR and continued as co‑executive chairmen; Joe Bae and Scott Nuttall became co‑CEOs effective immediately. KKR reported large AUM (~$471B at the time reported).
Columbia Business School opened Henry R. Kravis Hall
Columbia Business School opened its new Henry R. Kravis Hall (11‑story building) on the Manhattanville campus (building named for Kravis in recognition of his gift).
KKR global scale — reported AUM over $510B (Q1 2023 citation)
Public reporting (industry sources) indicated KKR managed over $510 billion in assets across strategies by early 2023; Kravis remained co‑executive chairman and influential figure.
Continues as Co‑Executive Chairman of KKR and serves on multiple boards
As of public bios, Kravis remains Co‑Executive Chairman of KKR and serves on boards (Axel Springer, ICONIQ Capital, Catalio Capital) and trusteeships (Columbia, Claremont McKenna, Mount Sinai, Rockefeller University).
Key Achievement Ages
Explore what Henry Kravis and others achieved at these notable ages:
Similar Trajectories
David Rubenstein
Born 1949 · Age 77
American lawyer, businessman, philanthropist; co-founder and co-chairman of The Carlyle Group; owner of the Baltimore Orioles; major donor to cultural and historic institutions.
Tadashi Yanai
Born 1949 · Age 77
Japanese billionaire entrepreneur; founder, chairman and president of Fast Retailing (parent of Uniqlo). Built Uniqlo into a global apparel giant and is (May 2025) Japan's richest person.
Bernard Arnault
Born 1949 · Age 77
French businessman, investor and art collector; chairman and CEO of LVMH, builder of the world's largest luxury-goods group and one of the world's richest individuals.
Ray Dalio
Born 1949 · Age 77
Founder of Bridgewater Associates (1975). Influential hedge-fund manager, author of Principles, major philanthropist, popularized risk parity and an 'idea meritocracy' corporate culture.
Miuccia Prada
Born 1949 · Age 77
Italian fashion designer and businesswoman; head designer of Prada and founder of Miu Miu; longtime creative force behind the Prada Group and collector/ patron of contemporary art.
Zhang Ruimin
Born 1949 · Age 77
Founder of Haier Group; transformed a failing state refrigerator factory into a global appliance and IoT platform company. Known for management innovations including the Rendanheyi model and extreme quality-driven culture.