NEW YORK, May 5 — KKR & Co. Inc., a leading global investment firm, today announced that it has closed its previously announced acquisition of Arctos Partners (“Arctos”), a premier institutional investor in professional sports franchise stakes globally and a leader in asset management solutions for sponsors. The transaction has received the specified sports league approvals required for closing.
Founded by Ian Charles and Doc O’Connor in 2019 and headquartered in Dallas, Texas, Arctos has the largest institutional portfolio of professional sports franchises and is a recognized innovator in providing strategic capital to asset management firms through structured solutions. The firm manages approximately $16 billion in assets under management and provides bespoke growth and liquidity solutions to sports franchises (“Arctos Sports”) and alternative asset managers (“Arctos Keystone” or “GP Solutions”).
“We are thrilled to welcome Arctos to KKR,” said Joe Bae and Scott Nuttall, Co-Chief Executive Officers of KKR. “Our firms have strong cultural alignment and shared entrepreneurial roots. Ian and Doc have built a highly distinctive market leading platform, and we look forward to partnering with them and their team to support the continued growth of the business and further strengthen KKR’s sourcing and origination capabilities.”
As a result of the transaction, Ian Charles, Doc O’Connor and the rest of Arctos have become part of KKR Solutions, a new investing business within KKR that is led by Ian Charles. KKR Solutions includes Arctos’ Sports and Keystone businesses and will serve as the home of a scaled multi-asset class secondaries business KKR will build over time.
“This transaction is a milestone for Arctos and our partners, representing the strength of our strategy and KKR’s belief in our team,” said Arctos’ Managing Partners Ian Charles and Doc O’Connor. “With KKR’s deep expertise and global platform, we are well positioned to accelerate our mission of building a differentiated investment platform that delivers innovative, tailored capital solutions to sports franchises and alternative asset managers, while expanding our impact across the industries we serve.”
