Carlyle Group

Strategic Concepts & Mechanics

Cornerstone MoveAbandon the Model That Doesn't Work Mid-Flight Cornerstone MoveSpot the Supply Gap Then Build the Category Identity & CultureThree-Year Crucible for Company Character Signature MoveTest in the Weakest Market First Strategic PatternBig Market Before Big Company Signature Move120% Speed Then 95% Quality Competitive AdvantageInternet DNA in Brick-and-Mortar Hotels Cornerstone MoveSerial Founding Then Hand Off the Baton Signature MoveMeditation Before Major Decisions Signature MoveFounder Majority Equity as Stability Anchor Strategic PatternCrises as Competitive Elimination Events Risk DoctrineSong Dynasty Fragility Warning Capital StrategyBubble Financing as Survival Capital Operating PrincipleMoon and Sixpence Equally Important Signature MoveRooftop-to-Street Site Inspection Operating PrincipleRevPAR Plus Ten, Costs Minus Ten Signature MoveRestructure First, Monetize Later Strategic PatternPR as Deal Catalyst Cornerstone MoveBuy Iconic, Distressed Brands for a Euro Competitive AdvantageCross-Border Arbitrage Savvy Capital StrategyOperate in Deal-Making Hubs Signature MoveCash Flow Is King, Not Headlines Cornerstone MovePartner Power, Personal Risk Minimized Decision FrameworkBiding Time as Active Strategy Signature MoveNetwork as Accelerant and Shield Signature MoveOperate from the Background, Delegate Frontlines Risk DoctrineShell Companies for Strategic Obscurity Strategic PatternDistressed Asset Branding Play Decision FrameworkBrand-Led, Asset-Backed Acquisitions Relationship LeverageStealth Philanthropy for Influence Identity & CultureIntellectual Prestige as Leverage Operating PrincipleDelegate Technical Execution to Specialists Cornerstone MoveSlip In While Giants Fight Competitive AdvantageBoom-Sensing Before the Crowd Signature MoveRelated-Party Deals as Control Ratchet Decision FrameworkUnsentimental Exit Discipline Signature MoveHire the Best Then Stay Out of the Way Capital StrategyCorporate Structure as Weapon Signature MovePrivate Until Capital Forces Public Signature MoveArt Buying While Empires Burn Strategic PatternCrash as Shopping Spree Identity & CultureLoyalty Through Generosity Not Hierarchy Cornerstone MoveDebt Down, Equity Up, Control Tighter

Primary Evidence

"when the dotcom bubble burst, we stumbled across the ‘mouse and mortar’ model of online room booking. The last tranche of venture capital funds (from IDG and the Carlyle Group) saved our lives, enabling us to stay in business until we became profitable and then went public, achieving our dreams of glory."

Source:The Founder's Notes

"Primondo only had three competitors worldwide: Amazon, the Otto Group, and the RedCats Group (PPR). Thus, Primondo was considered the prime cut of the Arcandor corporate group. In November 2010, the Carlyle Group made its move, retained the six profitable mail-order companies, and sold the rest, which quickly found further buyers. For instance, Baby-Walz has developed into a successful entity for the Carlyle Group: with over 300 million in sales, the company is now number 1 in the German baby specialty market."

Source:The Robin Hood Trap

"The topic of money must have been of interest to him, especially since he was already a multimillionaire. His son Nicolas was just proving himself as an investment broker, and he had also been managing part of the family fortune since 1984. Berggruen senior pricked up his ears to discover the secret of inexhaustible wealth. In the Bemelmans Bar, this was often the topic of conversation. Therefore, it is not surprising that shortly after the establishment of the Carlyle Group, another investment company was formed. Founder and President of Alpha Group, founded in 1988, is a hitherto completely unknown newcomer: Nicolas Berggruen."

Source:The Robin Hood Trap

"Moreover, it is rumored that David M. Rubenstein, president of the Carlyle Group, is one of Nicolas Berggruen's mentors, while also being considered his secret rival by insiders."

Source:The Robin Hood Trap

"He and Gammell and their advisors started planning a series of interlocking moves. The first was to form a joint venture with another private equity outfit, the Carlyle Group, then use their company National Hire to swallow the market leader, Coates Hire, in a $2.2 billion takeover that would put all the machinery businesses under the WesTrac banner."

Source:Kerry Stokes

Appears In Volumes

The Founder's Notes The Robin Hood Trap Kerry Stokes