Warburg Pincus history

Founded in 1966, Warburg Pincus has raised 21 private equity and 2 real estate funds, which have invested more than $100 billion in over 1,000 companies in more than 40 countries.

In 1967, John Vogelstein, a former partner at Lazard Freres, joined Pincus to build the firm.

In January 1970, Siegmund finally got the name changed to E.M. Warburg, Pincus & Company to differentiate it from S.G. Warburg & Company. "In the end, however, Lionel Pincus had the last laugh on Siegmund.

Landy, 52, a Baltimore native and Wharton grad, joined the firm in 1985 after a brief stint with Dean Witter and quickly built a reputation for investing in technology companies.

Kaye, 49, joined Warburg straight out of the University of Texas and moved to Hong Kong in 1994 to build its Asia operation, which has since invested $6.5 billion.

Warburg's $54 million investment in a software startup called BEA Systems, starting in 1995, wound up being worth $6.8 billion; the firm similarly converted an $8 million investment in Covad Communications into $1 billion in two years.

In 1999, they attempted to purchase English Premier League association football club Everton F.C.

Pincus and Vogelstein ran the company until 2002, when they stepped down and appointed Charles Kaye and Joseph P. Landy as co-presidents.

Their October 2007 purchase of Bausch & Lomb for $4.5 billion was almost precisely at the market top.

The companies have listed on 13 exchanges, including at least 30 IPOs outside the United States In August 2010, a six-year partnership between management and Warburg Pincus led to MEG Energy's successful IPO.

The firm has distributed more than $15 billion since the beginning of 2012.