Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co, one of the most prestigious US investment firms, announced its intentions yesterday to sell its shares publicly on the New York Stock Exchange.
The announcement came as part of a transaction, under which KKR would take over its European affiliate KPE.
'Moving forward with a public listing will allow KKR to do what we do best - grow companies around the world and produce solid returns for our investors from a larger platform and a deeper capital base,' Henry Kravis and George Roberts, co-founders of KKR, said in a statement.
They added the transaction would offer substantial benefits for KPE shareholders and build up KKR for the long-term.
KKR, which has been in the private-equity investment business for 32 years, was behind some of the biggest buyout deals in history and could be valued between $12 billion and $15 billion dollars, The Wall Street Journal reported.
The secretive firm was known for engineering the massive 1989 takeover of RJR Nabisco.
