Deals

Blackstone Backs Legoland's Global Push in $6 Billion Buyout

Investor group and family behind Lego to take Merlin private
Company plans expansion in Asia, especially China, South Korea

Legoland Dubai
Photographer: Christopher Pike/Bloomberg

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By Thomas Mulier

June 28, 2019 at 6:09 AM UTC

Updated on

June 28, 2019 at 11:42 AM UTC

This article is for subscribers only.

The owner of Legoland theme parks aims to go private in a $6.1 billion buyout, seeking to invest more in worldwide expansion and attract new fans of the plastic bricks in markets such as China.

Merlin Entertainments Plc said Friday that the Danish family behind the Lego empire agreed to buy the company for about 4.8 billion pounds in a joint offer with private equity firm Blackstone Group LP and Canadian pension fund CPPIB. The deal continues a run of blockbuster private equity transactions in Europe.