History of KKR & Co. in Timeline
KKR & Co. Inc., or Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co., is a global private equity and investment firm. By the end of 2024, KKR had completed 770 private-equity investments, representing approximately $790 billion of total enterprise value. The company's assets under management (AUM) totaled $553 billion, while its fee-paying assets under management (FPAUM) amounted to $446 billion.
1988: Reference to RJR Nabisco Takeover
In 2005, KKR's partnership to acquire SunGard was noted to be the largest leveraged buyout since the RJR Nabisco takeover in 1988.
2005: KKR partners with others to acquire SunGard
In 2005, KKR partnered with Silver Lake Partners, Bain Capital, Goldman Sachs Capital Partners, Blackstone Group, Providence Equity Partners, and TPG Capital to acquire SunGard for $11.3 billion, which represented the largest leveraged buyout completed since the takeover of RJR Nabisco in 1988 and the largest buyout of a technology company until the buyout of Freescale Semiconductor by affiliates of The Blackstone Group.
October 2006: KKR Acquired Stake in Tarkett
In October 2006, KKR acquired a 50% stake in Tarkett, a France-based distributor of flooring products, for about €1.4 billion ($1.8 billion).
November 2006: KKR Forms Partnership with Seven Network
In November 2006, KKR formed a A$4 billion partnership with the Seven Network of Australia.
2006: KKR acquired a 40% stake in Longview Power Plant
In 2006, KKR acquired a 40% stake in Longview Power Plant.
2006: KKR Raises $17.6 Billion for KKR 2006 Fund
In 2006, KKR raised $17.6 billion for the KKR 2006 Fund, and began executing some of the largest buyouts in history.
2006: Previous Listing of KPE Vehicle
KKR had previously listed its KPE vehicle in 2006, prior to filing to raise $1.25 billion in 2007.
January 2007: KKR Invested in Sun Microsystems
In January 2007, KKR invested $700 million in Sun Microsystems through a private investment in public equity (PIPE).
April 26, 2007: Harman International Industries Agreement with KKR and Goldman Sachs
On April 26, 2007, Harman International Industries entered an agreement to be acquired by KKR and Goldman Sachs for $8 billion.
September 2007: Termination of Harman International Industries Agreement
In September 2007, the agreement for KKR and Goldman Sachs to acquire Harman International Industries was terminated after a drop in earnings at Harmon during the Great Recession.
2007: KKR Files to Raise $1.25 Billion
In 2007, KKR filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission to raise $1.25 billion by selling an ownership interest in its management company, shortly after Blackstone Inc.'s IPO. The flotation was repeatedly postponed and called off by the end of August.
January 2008: KKR Invested in Legg Mason
In January 2008, KKR made a $1.25 billion private investment in public equity in Legg Mason through a convertible preferred stock offering.
July 2008: KKR Announces Reverse Takeover
In July 2008, KKR announced a reverse takeover of its listed affiliate KKR Private Equity Investors in exchange for a 21% interest in the firm to become a public company.
November 2008: Delay of KKR Transaction
In November 2008, the reverse takeover transaction announced in July was delayed until 2009, as shares of KPE had declined significantly due to the 2008 financial crisis.
October 2009: KKR Listed Shares on Euronext Exchange
In October 2009, KKR listed shares in KKR & Co. on the Euronext exchange.
2009: Postponed Transaction Date
The transaction which had been delayed in November of 2008 was delayed until 2009.
March 2010: KKR Filed to List Shares on NYSE
In March 2010, KKR filed to list its shares on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE).
July 15, 2010: KKR Shares Trading Commenced on NYSE
On July 15, 2010, trading commenced for KKR shares on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE).
December 2011: Samson Investment Company Acquired by KKR-Led Group
In December 2011, Samson Investment Company was acquired by a group of private equity investors led by KKR for approximately $7.2 billion, forming Samson Resources Corporation.
March 2013: KKR Sells Stake in BMG Rights Management
In March 2013, KKR sold its 51% stake in BMG Rights Management to Bertelsmann, a year after making its first retail real-estate investment in Illinois' Yorktown Center.
2013: KKR Owned Brickman
In 2014, KKR acquired ValleyCrest and combined it with landscape company Brickman, which it had owned since 2013, to form BrightView.
January 2014: KKR Acquired Sedgwick Claims Management Services Inc
In January 2014, KKR acquired Sedgwick Claims Management Services Inc for $2.4 billion from Stone Point, and Hellman & Friedman.
June 2014: KKR Acquired Stake in Acciona Energy
In June 2014, KKR acquired a one-third stake in Spanish energy business Acciona Energy, at a cost of €417 million ($567 million).
2014: KKR acquired ValleyCrest
In 2014, KKR acquired commercial landscaping company ValleyCrest from Michael Dell's investment firm MSD Capital, and combined it with landscape company Brickman, which it had owned since 2013, to form BrightView.
September 2015: Samson Filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy
In September 2015, Samson Resources Corporation, which was formed after the acquisition of Samson Investment Company by KKR in 2011, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy due to a severe downturn in oil and natural gas prices.
2016: KKR Purchased Hispanic Grocery Chains
In 2016, KKR purchased two Hispanic grocery chains, Northern California Mi Pueblo and Ontario, California–based Cardenas.
2016: Ryan Tedder songs
Since 2016, Ryan Tedder had composed songs for other artists.
March 2017: KKR Partnered with Dell-Linked Fund to Acquire GfK
In March 2017, KKR partnered with a fund linked to Dell to acquire GfK.
2017: KKR Purchased Stake in Dixon Hospitality Group
During 2017, KKR purchased an 80% stake in Dixon Hospitality Group for A$190 million, renaming it Australian Venue Co. (AVC).
July 2018: KKR Acquired RBMedia and LCY Chemical, Sold Gallagher Shopping Park
In July 2018, KKR acquired RBMedia, one of the largest independent publishers and distributors of audiobooks, and Taipei-based LCY Chemical for NT$47.8 billion ($1.56 billion US), while simultaneously selling Gallagher Shopping Park in the West Midlands to Hana Financial Group for £175 million.
February 2019: KKR Acquired Brightsprings, Tele München Gruppe, and Universum Film GmbH
In February 2019, KKR acquired Brightsprings, Tele München Gruppe and the German film distributor Universum Film GmbH.
December 2019: KKR Acquired Stake in Coastal GasLink Pipeline
In December 2019, KKR, together with Alberta Investment Management Corporation, acquired a 65% stake in the controversial Coastal GasLink Pipeline project from TC Energy. The pipeline route crosses the territory of the Wetʼsuwetʼen Nation, which opposes the project.
May 2020: KKR Invested in Coty and Jio Platforms
In May 2020, two months after acquiring Viridor, the company invested $750 million in cosmetics producer Coty and $1.5 billion in Jio Platforms.
2020: Canadian Pipeline and Railway Protests
Enforcement of an injunction to build through the Wet'suwet'en territory, related to the Coastal GasLink Pipeline project KKR acquired a stake in December 2019, led to the 2020 Canadian pipeline and railway protests.
2020: Longview Power Plant Filed for Bankruptcy Protection
Longview Power Plant, in which KKR acquired a 40% stake in 2006, filed for bankruptcy protection in 2020.
January 2021: KKR acquired a majority stake in Ryan Tedder's catalogue
In January 2021, KKR acquired a majority stake in the catalogue of American musician Ryan Tedder, including his band OneRepublic and the songs that he composed for other artists since 2016.
November 2021: KKR Sold Audiobooks.com, Partnered to Acquire CyrusOne
In November 2021, KKR sold Audiobooks.com to Storytel for $135 million, and partnered with Global Infrastructure Partners to acquire CyrusOne for $15 billion.
February 2022: KKR Acquired Stake in Nexon
In February 2022, KKR acquired 8.5% of Nexon.
May 2022: KKR Led Investment Round in Semperis
In May 2022, after acquiring Mitsubishi UBS Realty, KKR led about $200 million investment round in Semperis, a cybersecurity company focused on identity protection.
2022: Senators Inquired About Brightsprings Care
In 2022, four U.S. senators including Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders, requested Joseph Bae and Scott Nutall to explain the substandard care at Brightsprings since the acquisition in February 2019.
January 2023: KKR Invested in Taeyoung Group
In January 2023, KKR invested 700 billion won in 2023 after the first purchase of 400 billion won in private equity bonds by Taeyoung Group holding company TY Holdings.
April 2023: KKR Acquired Stake in FGS Global
In April 2023, KKR acquired a 30% stake in FGS Global that valued the company at about $1.4 billion.
November 2023: KKR Acquired Potter Global Technologies
In November 2023, KKR acquired Potter Global Technologies from Gryphon Investors.
2023: KKR Sold Australian Venue Co.
Australian Venue Co. (AVC), which KKR purchased in 2017, was expanded and then sold for US$900 million in 2023.
2023: KKR Dropped to Second Place in PEI 300 Ranking
In June 2022 KKR rose to the top of the Private Equity International's PEI 300 ranking. KKR slipped back to second place in 2023 and 2024, before regaining top spot in the 2025 list.
February 2024: KKR acquired End-User Computing division of VMware
In February 2024, KKR acquired the End-User Computing (EUC) division of VMware, which had been acquired by Broadcom, in a deal worth $3.8 billion. The division, renamed Omnissa, includes the VDI product Omnissa Horizon and the device management suite Workspace ONE UEM (formerly AirWatch).
June 2024: Boycott of Superstruct Entertainment Festivals
KKR's €1.3 billion purchase of Superstruct Entertainment in June 2024 led to the boycott of Superstruct Entertainment festivals due to the company's investments in Israeli settlements, weapons companies, and the Coastal GasLink pipeline.
2024: Acquisition of Encavis AG
Also in 2024 the Hamburg-based asset manager of renewable energies Encavis AG was acquired (currently up to 91%) by KKR along with Viessmann and ABACON CAPITAL as co-investors.
2024: KKR Retained Second Spot in PEI 300 Ranking
In June 2022 KKR rose to the top of the Private Equity International's PEI 300 ranking. KKR slipped back to second place in 2023 and 2024, before regaining top spot in the 2025 list.
2024: KKR Acquired Superstruct Entertainment
In June, KKR retained second spot in Private Equity International's 2024 PEI 300 ranking, behind Blackstone Inc. In the same month, it acquired Superstruct Entertainment, owner of European music festivals including Wacken Open Air (Germany), Boardmasters (UK) and Zwarte Cross (The Netherlands) for approximately €1.3 billion.
February 2025: KKR Made Bids for Healthcare Global Enterprises and Fuji Soft
In February 2025, KKR acquired Healthcare Global Enterprises for $400 million, it acquired Fuji Soft via a tender offer, after a bidding war with Bain Capital.
2025: KKR Regained Top Spot in PEI 300 Ranking
In June 2022 KKR rose to the top of the Private Equity International's PEI 300 ranking. KKR slipped back to second place in 2023 and 2024, before regaining top spot in the 2025 list.
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