The Carlyle Group is an American multinational private equity, alternative asset management and financial services corporation. As one of the largest private equity and alternative investment firms in the world, Carlyle specializes in four key business areas: corporate private equity, real assets, global credit, and investment solutions.
Carlyle's corporate private equity business has been one of the largest investors in leveraged buyout transactions over the decade 2004–2014 (or perhaps 2000–2010), while its real estate business has actively acquired commercial real estate. Since its inception, Carlyle has at various times had investments in companies such as Booz Allen Hamilton, Dex Media, Dunkin' Brands, Freescale Semiconductor, Getty Images, HCR Manor Care, Hertz, Kinder Morgan, Nielsen, and United Defense.
Carlyle was founded in 1987 in Washington D.C. by William E. Conway Jr., Daniel A. D'Aniello, and David Rubenstein and currently operates with more than 1,575 employees in 31 offices across six continents. In 2012, Carlyle completed a $700 million initial public offering and began trading on the NASDAQ stock exchange on May 3, 2012.
According to a 2015 ranking called the PEI 300 based on capital raised over the last five years, Carlyle was ranked No. 1 as the largest private equity firm in the world.