Key Takeaways
- • Kim Kardashian launched SKKY Partners, a private equity firm co-founded with Jay Sammons (former head of consumer investments at Carlyle Group, which manages $376 billion in assets) and her mother Kris Jenner as a partner, with offices in Boston and Los Angeles.
- • SKKY Partners focuses on consumer products, hospitality, luxury, digital commerce, media, and entertainment sectors—sectors where Sammons has demonstrated expertise through prior Carlyle investments in Philosophy, Beats by Dre, Supreme, Moncler, and Golden Goose.
- • Sammons left Carlyle in June 2022 to launch the firm after approaching the Kardashian-Jenner family earlier that year, positioning the venture as a platform to support founder-led companies at scale.
- • According to publisher context, SKKY Partners raised only $121 million against a $1–2 billion target within its first 1.5 years of operation, and Kardashian is no longer listed as a managing partner according to firm regulatory filings and website updates.
Summary
Kim Kardashian has entered the private equity sector through the launch of SKKY Partners, a consumer-focused investment firm that represents a significant strategic pivot for the celebrity entrepreneur. The firm was co-founded by Kardashian, Jay Sammons (the former head of consumer investments at Carlyle Group), and Kris Jenner, Kardashian's mother and business manager. The partnership combines Kardashian's consumer brand influence and entrepreneurial track record with Sammons' institutional private equity expertise and deal-making experience at one of the world's largest alternative asset managers.
Sammons brings substantial credential to the venture, having led consumer sector investments at Carlyle Group—a firm with over $376 billion in assets under management. His prior investment portfolio includes notable brands such as Philosophy skincare, Beats by Dre, Supreme streetwear, Moncler, and Golden Goose, demonstrating deep sector knowledge in luxury, consumer products, and lifestyle categories. Sammons departed Carlyle in June 2022 to launch SKKY Partners after approaching the Kardashian-Jenner family about the opportunity earlier that year. The firm operates dual headquarters in Boston and Los Angeles, with Kardashian and Sammons sharing titles as co-founders and co-managing partners.
SKKY Partners targets investments across consumer products, hospitality, luxury goods, digital commerce, media, and entertainment sectors. Kardashian has positioned the firm as a founder-friendly platform focused on scaling established brands rather than transforming their core identity, stating: "I want to support what that is, not change who they are in their DNA, but just support and get them to a different level." This strategy aligns with her own experience building Skims into a $4 billion valuation.
However, subsequent developments reveal significant challenges. According to publisher filings and website updates, SKKY Partners has raised only $121 million against an initial target of $1–2 billion in its first 1.5 years of operation. More notably, Kardashian is no longer listed as a managing partner at the firm, based on regulatory filings and current firm disclosures, suggesting a material shift in her operational involvement despite the firm's continued existence under Sammons' leadership.
Sammons brings substantial credential to the venture, having led consumer sector investments at Carlyle Group—a firm with over $376 billion in assets under management. His prior investment portfolio includes notable brands such as Philosophy skincare, Beats by Dre, Supreme streetwear, Moncler, and Golden Goose, demonstrating deep sector knowledge in luxury, consumer products, and lifestyle categories. Sammons departed Carlyle in June 2022 to launch SKKY Partners after approaching the Kardashian-Jenner family about the opportunity earlier that year. The firm operates dual headquarters in Boston and Los Angeles, with Kardashian and Sammons sharing titles as co-founders and co-managing partners.
SKKY Partners targets investments across consumer products, hospitality, luxury goods, digital commerce, media, and entertainment sectors. Kardashian has positioned the firm as a founder-friendly platform focused on scaling established brands rather than transforming their core identity, stating: "I want to support what that is, not change who they are in their DNA, but just support and get them to a different level." This strategy aligns with her own experience building Skims into a $4 billion valuation.
However, subsequent developments reveal significant challenges. According to publisher filings and website updates, SKKY Partners has raised only $121 million against an initial target of $1–2 billion in its first 1.5 years of operation. More notably, Kardashian is no longer listed as a managing partner at the firm, based on regulatory filings and current firm disclosures, suggesting a material shift in her operational involvement despite the firm's continued existence under Sammons' leadership.
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