Visualizing the World’s Top 50 Private Equity Firms in 2025 : US Pioneer Global VC DIFCHQ SFO NYC Singapore – Riyadh Swiss Our Mind

Visualizing the World’s Top 50 Private Equity Firms in 2025

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Key Takeaways

  • New York-based KKR takes top spot in the PEI 300 rankings by Private Equity International, raising $117.9 billion over the past five years.
  • Following next in line is mega-fund EQT, the largest private equity (PE) firm in Europe.
  • Falling to third place is Blackstone, which recently invested $300 million into AI platform DDN, whose customers include Elon Musk’s xAI.

In the last five years, the top 300 private equity (PE) firms raised $3.3 trillion—up just 0.4% from last year’s total.

Overall, PE fundraising has slumped in recent years, with many expecting the trend to continue in 2025. At the same time, the industry is getting increasingly divided—with the six largest players raising 60% of total funds in the first nine months of 2024.

This graphic shows the top 50 PE firms globally, based on data from Private Equity International.

Ranked: The Global Leaders in Private Equity

Below, we show the biggest PE firms by capital raised between 2020 and 2024:

 

With $117.9 billion raised, PE giant KKR leads the rankings, driven by its focus on opportunities in North America and Asia.

Most recently, the firm acquired a 12% stake in medical supply company Henry Schein, while working with the company to consider an employee-ownership model. With 284 portfolio companies, KKR manages $620 billion in assets overall.

Ranking in second is Swedish buyout firm EQT, raising $113.3 billion in the past five years. In 2024, fund exits surged by 72% in a record-breaking year. With IPOs covering skincare firm Golderma to exits for data center provider EdgeConneX, EQT saw the highest fund exits globally.

Meanwhile, Blackstone, one of the largest owners of commercial property worldwide, fell from first to third place with $95.7 billion in capital raised.

https://www.visualcapitalist.com/worlds-top-50-private-equity-firms-in-2025/