# Joe Bae

> Joe Bae is KKR’s New York-based co-chief executive officer, serving alongside Scott Nuttall since October 2021. A Harvard College graduate who joined KKR in 1996 after Goldman Sachs, he established its Asia operations from Hong Kong and later oversaw private markets businesses. He co-founded The Asian American Foundation, co-chairs its board, and became a Fellow of the Harvard Corporation in July 2024. His philanthropy with novelist Janice Y. K. Lee supports Asian American studies, the arts, humanities, and financial aid.

- **Role:** Co-Chief Executive Officer at KKR
- **Organizations:** KKR, The Asian American Foundation, Harvard Corporation, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, Goldman Sachs (former)
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** B.A. in Economics, magna cum laude, Harvard College, Phillips Academy Andover
- **Known for:** Established and expanded KKR’s Asia-Pacific investment business., Led or served on KKR’s private markets investment committees and helped implement thematic investing., Succeeded KKR’s founders as co-CEO alongside Scott Nuttall in October 2021.

## Career timeline

- **1994** — Graduated from Harvard College; began a two-year analyst role in Goldman Sachs’s principal investment area.
- **1996** — Joined KKR after choosing the analyst job over beginning Harvard Business School.
- **2005** — Moved to Hong Kong late in the year to establish KKR’s Asian operations.
- **2009** — Led KKR’s team on the Oriental Brewery investment.
- **2014** — AB InBev reacquired Oriental Brewery from KKR and Affinity Equity Partners for $5.8 billion.
- **2017** — Named KKR co-president and co-chief operating officer; joined its board in July.
- **2021** — Co-founded The Asian American Foundation; appointed KKR co-CEO with Scott Nuttall on October 11.
- **2024** — Became a Fellow of the Harvard Corporation on July 1; with Janice Lee, gave $20 million for arts, humanities, and financial aid.

## Achievements

- Established and expanded KKR’s Asia-Pacific investment business.
- Led or served on KKR’s private markets investment committees and helped implement thematic investing.
- Succeeded KKR’s founders as co-CEO alongside Scott Nuttall in October 2021.
- Co-founded The Asian American Foundation and serves as board co-chair.
- Elected to the Harvard Corporation in 2024.
- With Janice Lee, supported Harvard’s expansion of Asian American studies and endowed professorships in government and history.

## Latest updates

- **2026-08** — As TAAF board co-chair alongside Peng Zhao, supported announcement of a CEO search, with Norman Chen planning to transition to vice chair at the end of 2026.
- **2026-08** — With Scott Nuttall, commented on KKR’s participation in NVIDIA’s initiative to establish independent financing platforms for computing infrastructure.
- **2026-05** — KKR completed its acquisition of Arctos on May 4, adding sports investing and asset-management capital solutions.

## Links

- Website: https://www.kkr.com/about/our-people/joseph-bae
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joe-bae-0415a9188

---

Profile page: https://yespress.io/joe-bae
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-21