Co-founders and chief executive officers George Roberts and Henry Kravis of KKR & Co. LP gained about $141 million and $137 million respectively in executive compensation and cash dividends in 2012, over 45 percent increase they got in the earlier year.

Owning about a quarter of the company, Roberts and Kravis reportedly received $105.8 million and $102.1 million respectively in cash from dividend payments for 2012, with $1.22 dividend per unit, filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission showed.

In 2011, the co-founders gained $94 million each in cash dividend and executive compensation as well as $34.7 million each mostly in cash payments, according to the filing.

Buyout companies largely benefited from buoyant equity and debt markets in 2012 that resulted in huge payouts for executives in the industry.

In 1976, Roberts and Kravis together founded KKR with Jerome Kohlberg.