Kohlberg Kravis Roberts has completed a number of transactions including the 1989 leveraged buyout of RJR Nabisco, which was a large buyout in … The core of the firm's franchise is sponsoring and managing funds that make private equity investments in North America, Europe and Asia. By clicking “OK” below, I acknowledge that I have read and understood the following important information: Access to the KKR Investor Portal is provided to investors in Drawbr Founded in 1976, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (KKR) is a global investment firm. Jerome Kohlberg, Jr. and cousins Henry Kravis and George R. Roberts, all of whom had previously worked together at Bear Stearns, where the three completed some of the leveraged buyout transactions founded the company.