AFRM vs CG Comparison

Founded in 2012, Affirm is a market leader in the buy-now, pay-later space with around $36 billion in transaction volume in fiscal 2025. Affirm offers both zero-interest financing, which is merchant subsidized, and interest-bearing loans, which function as personal loans that are approved on a per-transaction basis. Over 70% of Affirm's transaction volume comes from its interest-bearing loans, which also comprise the majority of its revenue. Affirm operates in the United States, which accounted for more than 95% of its revenue in 2025, but the firm has also expanded to Canada and the United Kingdom.

Carlyle Group is one of the world's largest alternative-asset managers, with $476.9 billion in total AUM, including $336.8 billion in fee-earning AUM, at the end of 2025. The company has three core business segments: global private equity, which includes its private equity, real estate, infrastructure, and natural resources offerings (with $163.6 billion in total AUM and $101.4 billion in fee-earning AUM), global credit ($211.3 billion/$169.5 billion), and investment/fund solutions, known as Carlyle AlphInvest ($101.0 billion/$65.9 billion). The firm primarily serves institutional investors and high-net-worth individuals. Carlyle operates through 29 offices across five continents, serving more than 3,100 active carry fund investors from 87 countries.