KKR’s first leveraged buyout of a public company set the stage for KKR’s rapid expansion into the 1980s and beyond

The Justice Department is seeking at least $650 million in civil penalties from KKR , the highest civil penalty ever sought for an HSR violation.

With private equity’s prospects fading in the uncertain economy, whether that scrutiny continues under President Trump will go a long way to determining whether the KKRs of the world can survive.

The private equity industry is teetering on the edge of its former glory.

Dealmaking has been glacial, tariff-induced market turmoil has upended exit plans (or sales of the portfolio companies), setting prices for acquisitions has been impossible due to the uncertain economic environment, and bankruptcies at private equityowned companies soared to record levels last year .