Henry Roberts Kravis is an American businessman, the self-made billionaire Co-founder and Co-Executive Chairman of Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. (KKR, NYSE: KKR), one of the world's largest and most influential private equity firms. Born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 1944, his father was a successful oil engineer who was a business partner of Joseph P. Kennedy.

Kravis received an elite education: he graduated from Claremont McKenna College in 1967 with a B.A. in Economics and earned an MBA from Columbia Business School in 1969. His career began at Bear Stearns, where he and his cousin George R. Roberts worked under Jerome Kohlberg Jr., who pioneered the concept of bootstrap acquisitions (Leveraged Buyouts - LBOs).

Henry Kravis co-founded KKR in 1976 with his cousins, George R. Roberts and Jerome Kohlberg Jr. (who later departed). Their founding vision was to institutionalize the LBO model, borrowing capital to buy controlling interests in undervalued companies. KKR's success defined the private equity industry, executing some of the biggest corporate acquisitions in history (e.g., RJR Nabisco).

He served as Co-Chief Executive Officer (CEO) until 2021, leading KKR's global expansion into a firm managing investments across private equity, energy, infrastructure, real estate, credit, and hedge funds. He transitioned to Co-Executive Chairman in 2021 and remains actively involved in managing the firm's portfolio. Kravis is a major philanthropist: he and his wife, Marie-Josée Kravis, have donated hundreds of millions, including $15 million to Mount Sinai for a Center for Cardiovascular Health and major gifts to Claremont McKenna College.

Henry Kravis's social impact is structural, tied to KKR's role in reshaping global corporate governance and industrial efficiency through massive buyouts. His non-profit, the Partnership Fund for New York City (formerly New York City Investment Fund), creates jobs and supports small businesses.

His structural contribution to education and medicine is profound: his funding of the Kravis Leadership Institute and the Center for Cardiovascular Health at Mount Sinai advances critical research and leadership development.

Henry Kravis maintains the powerful, impeccable style of a Wall Street titan. His attire is consistently bespoke, favoring dark, tailored suits. His aesthetic reflects his stability, his Tulsa oil money origins, and his command over the global finance industry.

Residing in New York City, his luxury is the immense security and financial reward derived from his multi-billion dollar fortune. His life is dedicated to high-stakes financial structuring, philanthropy, and corporate governance.