Dollar General Applies for $750 Million IPO

Discount retailer Dollar General, backed by powerful private equity firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (NYSE: KFN), filed for an initial public offering of up to $750 million on Thursday. It could be one of the largest IPOs of the year and among the biggest exits through a public stock offering by a private equity firm since the credit crunch sapped investor appetite for new offerings. The company said it expected to pay a special dividend of $200 million to existing shareholders prior to the offering.