In the large buy out space, which is where we (Kohlberg Kravis Roberts) focus our efforts, there are relatively few firms with the capital, experience, infrastructure and networks to compete effectively with the large complex companies that we seek to acquire.

Henry Kravis

Categorized in : Space Focus Effort

If you don't have integrity, you have nothing. You can't buy it. You can have all the money in the world, but if you are not a moral and ethical person, you really have nothing.

Henry Kravis

money integrity world

As I said there is nothing wrong with failing. Pick yourself up and try it again. You never are going to know how good you really are until you go out and face failure.

Henry Kravis

failure faces trying

A real entrepreneur is somebody who has no safety net underneath them.

Henry Kravis

success inspiring inspirational

If you build that foundation, both the moral and the ethical foundation, as well as the business foundation, and the experience foundation, then the building won't crumble.

Henry Kravis

foundation moral integrity

If you have something at risk, you think differently.

Henry Kravis

risk ifs thinking

To understand KKR, I always like to say, don't congratulate us when we buy a company. Any fool can buy a company. Congratulate us when we sell it and when we've done something with it and created real value.

Henry Kravis

buying done real

Whales who come up and spout off get harpooned.

Henry Kravis

whales come-up

I've been in a hurry all my life. I've been in a hurry to succeed, and in a hurry to prove myself.

Henry Kravis

prove-myself succeed prove

We've got a portfolio of companies that range all the way from hotels to television stations and cable TV companies, oil and gas, consumer products, and industrial products. If there's anything that I want to know more about, I have the opportunity. It's right in our portfolio. I can spend time at the factory or with the manangement and learn as much as I want. You can't get bored doing that.

Henry Kravis

oil bored opportunity

It's one of the most important things at the end of the day, being able to say no to an investment.

Henry Kravis

investing the-end-of-the-day important

I want people who will stand up to me. People who are not afraid to say exactly what's on their minds, even though that's probably not what I want to hear. That's what I want.

Henry Kravis

mind want people

I love the ability to work with very good managers, and to provide the right incentives for them, and truly become a partner with that management, and make that management take a long view.

Henry Kravis

incentives views long

A real entrepreneurs who do not need protection nets underneath

Henry Kravis

entrepreneur real needs

You only have one thing to sell in life, and that's yourself.

Henry Kravis

sells one-thing

It's not just buying the company. Sure, we picked the right companies, and we picked the right management and, most importantly, we've given them the right incentive to perform.

Henry Kravis

incentives buying management

Our industry expertise (at KKR) enables the firm not only to make better investment choices but also to win the confidence of senior management and sellers, which has enabled us to purchase many companies on an exclusive basis.

Henry Kravis

senior choices winning

Any fool can buy a company; just pay enough

Henry Kravis

fool enough pay

And make sure that capital structure we have in place is the right capital structure. I think that's the reason that we've been successful.

Henry Kravis

successful reason thinking

I have, in my partner George Roberts, a person who is the most wonderful man in the world to me. He's like a brother to me. Creating with him, being side by side with him, in whatever we try to do, is a real pleasure to me.

Henry Kravis

real brother men

I was an economics major in college, and every summer after school, I would drive my car from California, from Claremont men's college at the time, to New York. And I worked on Wall Street.

Henry Kravis

wall new-york summer