Early Life
Henry Roberts Kravis was born on January 6, 1944, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, into a Jewish family. His father, Raymond F. Kravis, was a successful oil engineer who had been a business partner of Joseph P. Kennedy. Kravis attended Eaglebrook School, Loomis Chaffee School, Claremont McKenna College, and Columbia Business School. At Claremont McKenna College, he majored in economics and was on the varsity golf team.
Rise to Success
After earning his MBA from Columbia Business School in 1969, Kravis joined Bear Stearns, where he worked alongside his cousin George R. Roberts and Jerome Kohlberg. In 1976, Kravis, Roberts, and Kohlberg founded Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. (KKR). KKR became a pioneer in leveraged buyouts (LBOs), a strategy that transformed the private equity landscape. A key transaction that solidified KKR's reputation was the $25 billion buyout of RJR Nabisco in 1989.
Key Business Strategies
KKR's investment strategy focuses on identifying and partnering with exceptional entrepreneurs and innovative companies. The firm employs a disciplined, long-term investment style, often holding positions for five to seven years. KKR aims to generate attractive returns by improving operational performance and encouraging sustainability practices in its portfolio companies.
Philanthropy
Henry Kravis is a dedicated philanthropist and has contributed millions to various causes. He founded the Kravis Leadership Institute at Claremont McKenna College, where he established the Kravis Prize in Leadership, which honors leadership in the non-profit sector. Kravis is a significant donor to Columbia Business School, having pledged $100 million to support the school's new campus project. He also funds the Henry Kravis Leadership Institute that sponsors the Leadership Studies programs at Claremont McKenna College, and the "Henry Kravis Internships for Teachers of Color" program. He has also supported institutions like the Metropolitan Museum of Art.