Saturday, September 21, 2019

Carlyle to Sell Golden Goose in Cash Raise?


Bloomberg reported:

The Carlyle Group is considering a sale of Golden Goose, the Italian luxury sneaker brand favored by celebrities from Selena Gomez to Taylor Swift, people with knowledge of the matter said.
I doubt Taylor Swift wears Golden Goose after Carlyle funded Scooter Borchetta's buyout of Swift's music library.   The Carlyle Group funded Scooter.  Swift was saddened and grossed out from Carlyle's nightmarish deal.

If Swift made the connection I would hope she donated her Golden Goose sneakers and any Supreme merchandise from their PEU taint.

Bloomberg added:
The private equity firm is working with Bank of America Corp. on the potential deal, according to the people, who asked not to be identified because the information is private. Golden Goose, known for its vintage style footwear emblazoned with the brand’s iconic star on the side, could fetch more than 1 billion euros ($1.1 billion), the people said.

Carlyle acquired Golden Goose from Ergon Capital Partners SA in 2017. The deal valued the business at about 400 million euros.
While other retailers declare bankruptcy left and right Carlyle's GGDB rose nearly 200%?  It's clearly time to cash in before valuations snap in the other direction (like WeWork).

Update 11-17-19:  Bloomberg reported "Taylor Swift’s feud with her record label reveals a little-known fact about the entertainment business: the outsized role private equity plays in funding its biggest stars.Swift asked Carlyle Group in a tweet on Thursday to help her as she battles to secure ownership of albums she recorded with her previous label.  The pop star didn’t criticize Carlyle, only appealing for its help. But her conspicuous mention of the company put a spotlight on an industry her legions of young fans normally wouldn’t have reason to pay attention to. Google searches for Carlyle Group surged after her tweet."