MKL vs CG Comparison

Markel's primary business is property and casualty insurance. The company focuses primarily on specialty lines, ranging from areas such as executive liability to commercial equine insurance. The acquisition of Alterra in 2013 added substantial reinsurance operations, which now account for a little over 10% of premiums. The company uses capital generated by its insurance operations to buy noninsurance operations in diverse areas, such as bakery equipment manufacturing and residential homebuilding.

Carlyle Group is one of the world's largest alternative-asset managers, with $474.1 billion in total AUM, including $332.0 billion in fee-earning AUM, at the end of September 2025. The company has three core business segments: global private equity, which includes its private equity, real estate, infrastructure, and natural resources offerings (with $163.5 billion in total AUM and $101.1 billion in fee-earning AUM), global credit ($208.5 billion/$167.2 billion), and investment/fund solutions, known as Carlyle AlphInvest ($102.1 billion/$63.7 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.