Silver Lake to Buy Equistone’s Global Blue for $1.3 Billion

Silver Lake Management LLC, the largest technology-focused buyout firm, agreed to buy shopping-refund payment handler Global Blue from Equistone Partners Europe, its European private equity owner.

The transaction values the Nyon, Switzerland-based company, which specializes in sales-tax refunds for tourists who buy luxury goods while abroad, at 1 billion euros ($1.3 billion), Equistone said in an e-mailed statement today. Partners Group Holding AG, a Swiss asset manager, will take a minority stake, Silver Lake said in a separate statement.