George Roberts cofounded private equity giant KKR with Henry Kravis; in October 2021 the two men gave up their co-CEO titles; both serve as executive co-chairs of the firm. Along with his cousin Henry Kravis and their mentor Jerome Kohlberg, the three led KKR through debt-financed hostile takeovers starting in the 1970s. The firm is known for the 1988 buyout of RJR Nabisco, chronicled in the book "Barbarians At The Gate." KKR went public on the New York Stock Exchange in 2010. KKR has just over 100 portfolio companies that generate $244 billion in revenues, making it one of the five largest private equity firms in the world.
