Kinder Morgan Inc., Houston, (NYSE: KMI) has received a proposal from a group of investors led by Richard D. Kinder, chairman and chief executive, to acquire the company for $100 per share in cash, a premium of 18.5% over the closing price of the company's shares on May 26. The buyout offer totals about US$22 billion of purchased equity and assumed debt, and would be one of the largest buyouts in U.S. history. The investor group includes members of the senior management team, KMI co-founder Bill Morgan, current board members Fayez Sarofim and Mike Morgan, and investment partners Goldman, Sachs & Co., AIG Global Asset Management Holdings Corp., The Carlyle Group and Riverstone Holdings LLC.