When Kohlberg Kravis & Roberts hired Simpson Thacher & Bartlett private equity partner David Sorkin to become its first-ever general counsel in 2007, the private equity giant’s IPO seemed right around the corner.

But the financial crisis shelved KKR’s IPO plans for three years. The company debuted on the New York Stock Exchange Thursday. Even though KKR didn’t stick to its IPO schedule, Sorkin still did pretty well for himself, pulling in $6.9 million in compensation last year.