Stonepeak/GIP vs KKR/Apollo/Carlyle Infra?

Curious if anyone had information about any of the groups mentioned above in terms of strategy, comp, prestige, culture, WLB, etc. Which one would you take if you had offers from all? 

I know some of them are fairly different in size so don't necessarily play in the same space, but unsure about nuances around mandates. Thanks! 

9 Comments
 

KKR infra culture is great - way better than GIP, and they work on similar deals and partner together (e.g. CyrusOne). KKR brand name will have better exit opps to b school, hedge funds etc, more so than a Stonepeak or GIP. This probably applies to Apollo and Carlyle as well I would imagine if you can spin that experience the right way.

 

Thank you, that's helpful. 

You mentioned the optionality of the brand name for bschool (which I don't care about) and HFs, but how difficult is it to go from infra > HF just given the sector focus? 

I know BX / KKR infra are more legit, but Apollo / Carlyle seem to be pretty small funds that write $500mm equity checks so not sure how that experience would compare to a GIP / Stonepeak. 

 

while you're right about KKR's brand name, from what I understand a lot of people who are in infra like it overall and things like prestige are less important to them I'd imagine vs comp/culture. Relative to traditional PE, wouldn't that tilt it towards the better culture/paying and not necessarily prestigious firms? Generally curious

Quant (ˈkwänt) n: An expert, someone who knows more and more about less and less until they know everything about nothing.
 

GIP is as bad as it gets for infra

I hear that KKR Infra culture is average and dependent on the office, with London closer to the bad side (ex-MacCap burnouts)

Apollo / Carlyle Infra are not really comparable to Stonepeak/GIP/KKR in terms of mandate/deal size

 
[Comment removed by mod team]
 

Thanks for the insight there. Agreed that within infra you can't go wrong with any of those names, but what if you're unsure about staying within the space? Does the value of those experiences diminish substantially at that point and you're better off just taking the brand name? How much stronger do you think the pure-play infra funds are compared to non BX / KKR infra MFs?

 
[Comment removed by mod team]
 
Most Helpful

Quia neque quia beatae suscipit ut occaecati. Reprehenderit quisquam at voluptatibus rerum ut ex officia. Aut est officia voluptate rem.

Dignissimos animi aut repudiandae ipsa doloribus non velit. Natus ex placeat totam occaecati.

Animi iste temporibus aliquam et et incidunt neque. Reiciendis sit sed voluptates quas. Voluptas quia quasi quia placeat provident porro. Quibusdam voluptatem tempore maiores dolores odit vitae a unde.

Career Advancement Opportunities

June 2026 Private Equity

  • The Riverside Company 99.6%
  • Blackstone Group 99.3%
  • KKR (Kohlberg Kravis Roberts) 98.9%
  • Warburg Pincus 98.5%
  • Bain Capital 98.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

June 2026 Private Equity

  • Blackstone Group 99.6%
  • KKR (Kohlberg Kravis Roberts) 99.3%
  • The Riverside Company 98.9%
  • Ardian 98.5%
  • Starwood Capital Group 98.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

June 2026 Private Equity

  • Bain Capital 99.6%
  • The Riverside Company 99.3%
  • Blackstone Group 98.9%
  • Starwood Capital Group 98.5%
  • KKR (Kohlberg Kravis Roberts) 98.1%

Total Avg Compensation

June 2026 Private Equity

  • Principal (9) $653
  • Director/MD (24) $547
  • Vice President (98) $365
  • 3rd+ Year Associate (104) $281
  • 2nd Year Associate (235) $272
  • 1st Year Associate (411) $229
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (33) $157
  • 2nd Year Analyst (97) $134
  • 1st Year Analyst (272) $124
  • Intern/Summer Associate (38) $81
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (355) $62
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”