The Carlyle Group is a Washington, D.C. based global private equity investment firm with more than USD$40 billion of equity capital under management. The firm operates four fund families, focusing on leveraged buyouts, venture & growth capital, real estate and leveraged finance investments. The firm employs more than 300 investment professionals in 14 countries with multiple offices in North America, Europe and Asia. It has on its staff 138 MBAs, 24 JDs and 14 Ph.D/MDs from many of the world’s most prestigious universities. Today, Carlyle serves 900 investors in 55 countries and its portfolio companies employ 184,000 people worldwide.

Origin

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Carlyle was founded in 1987 by William E. Conway, Jr., Daniel A. D'Aniello, Stephen L. Norris, and David M. Rubenstein. Only Norris has since left the Group, at the behest (some say demand) of the other founders. The three remaining founders are reported to collectively own around a 50% interest in the group's general partnership. The California Public Employees Retirement System (or CalPERS) is the only institution which owns a stake in the partnership, holding 5.5 percent of Carlyle. However, as journalist James K. Glassman writes, CalPERS “has a reputation as an advocate for socially responsible investing . . . That’s the business equivalent of the Good Housekeeping Seal.”

As they wanted the firm to outlive them, the founders named the firm after the upper east side hotel in New York City, "The Carlyle," where they first met to discuss the idea. Carlyle's current chairman is Lou Gerstner, former chairman and CEO of IBM.

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