Send Us Your Press Releases

Raise your profile by letting the world know exactly what you are up to right now: editorial@AltAssets.net
Private Equity Fund Directory
Subscribe to the free Private Equity and Venture Capital NewsletterJoin AltAssets group on LinkedIn

DIC sold stake in Merlin Entertainments last year DIC sold stake in Merlin Entertainments last year

15 Feb 2010. Source: AltAssets
Dubai International Capital, the investment arm of Dubai Holding, has sold two-thirds of its 17 per cent Merlin Entertainments stake to the family behind Lego, already a fellow investor in the theme park operator, according to the Financial Times.

The Dubai sovereign wealth fund agreed the deal last summer, shortly before Merlin started prepping a £2bn (€2.3bn) initial public offering.

The deal was reportedly kept secret to avoid speculation of a fire sale by Dubai, which suffered a debt crisis late last year.  

DIC is said to have made £100m (€115.2m) from the sale which it used to support its European portfolio, including UK hotel chain Travelodge, German packaging company Mauser, and UK engineering group Doncasters.

Merlin was one of many private equity-owned companies that put its listing on hold last week as the result of volatile market conditions.

DIC received its 17 per cent stake for selling Madame Tussauds to Merlin three years ago. The Dubai investment fund now owns six per cent of the company.

Kirkbi, a company owned by Demark’s Christiansen family, who founded and still controls Lego, increased its stake in Merlin from 23 per cent to 34 per cent via the purchase from DIC. Kirkbi received its initial 23 per cent stake from selling Legoland to Merlin five years ago, the report said.

US private equity firm Blackstone owns 48 per cent of Merlin, which operates the London Eye, Madame Tussauds, Legoland and other theme parks in the UK.

Copyright © 2010 AltAssets

Add your comment

There are currently no comments.
Leave Comment


or close