
Investment: US fund Arctos (PSG, Liverpool, Warriors) acquired by KKR (USA) for $1.4bn
KKR, a New York-based investment firm (USA), has acquired Arctos Partners
Sector: US investment fundFounded: 2019Management: David O'Connor and Ian Charles (co-founders and co-managing partners)Investments:• Paris Saint-Germain (Ligue 1 McDonald's)• Liverpool FC (Premier…
, another US investment fund, in a transaction valued at $1.4bn (€1.18bn), it announced on 05/02/2026.
The agreement also includes "equity subject to vesting through 2033, plus up to an additional $550 million in future equity tied to both KKR share price and business-specific performance targets and vesting through 2031".
Arctos is a minority shareholder in Paris Saint-Germain
Activity: French professional football club
Top sponsors:
• Nike (equipment supplier): €20m per year from 2014-15 to 2021-22, between €70-90m for the 2019-2032 cycle• Qatar Airways (airline)…
(Ligue 1 McDonald’s), as well as Liverpool FC
Activity: English professional football club
Main Partner:
• Standard Chartered (bank): main shirt sponsor since 2010-11, until 2026-27, £30m a year until 2018-19, estimated £40m per season for…
(Premier League
Top English professional football division. 20 clubs.
), and NBA
National Basketball Association, the North American professional basketball league
franchises the Golden State Warriors and the Utah Jazz. The fund also presents itself as "the only institutional investor approved to hold equity stakes across all five major North American professional leagues (NFL
National Football League, the professional league of American football in the USA.
, NHL
National Hockey League, the North American professional ice hockey league
, NBA, MLS
Major League Soccer, the top professional football league in the USA and Canada
and MLB
Major League Baseball, the North American professional baseball league
)".
“The transaction is subject to regulatory approvals and approvals from the relevant sports leagues, as well as customary closing conditions,” KKR added.
"This acquisition is part of KKR’s strategy to scale its platform by building and acquiring complementary businesses in large addressable markets where KKR has the ability to be a leader. Bringing Arctos into KKR will provide access to capital and capabilities that will fuel the growth of Arctos’ existing businesses".
Arctos’ co-founders and managing partners Ian Charles and David O’Connor will join KKR as partners, while all Arctos employees and operations will be integrated into KKR. The latter will also create a new investment platform, KKR Solutions, to be led by Ian Charles. KKR Solutions will bring together Arctos’ ”Sports” and ”Keystone” businesses.
- Arctos Partners launched the Arctos Capital Markets (ACM) platform on 30/09/2025, designed to "directly connect investors with professional sports ownership opportunities".
"A partnership that will give us access to strategic, financial and operational resources to accelerate our existing businesses" (I. Charles and D. O'Connor, Arctos)
• "KKR is a leading global investment firm, ideally positioned to help us achieve the vision we have for Arctos.
• We see significant opportunities to better serve the sports industry and sponsors, and the key to unlocking that potential lies in a partnership that provides access to strategic, financial and operational resources to accelerate our existing businesses".
Ian Charles and David O'Connor, managing partners and co-founders of Arctos
Arctos Partners
Sector: US investment fund
Founded: 2019
Management: David O'Connor and Ian Charles (co-founders and co-managing partners)
Investments:
• Paris Saint-Germain (Ligue 1 McDonald's)
• Liverpool FC (Premier League)
• Golden State Warriors and Utah Jazz (NBA)
• Aston Martin Racing (Formula 1)
• Houston Astros (MLB)
• Atalanta BC (Serie A Enilive)
• Portland Timbers (MLS)
• Portland Thorns (NWSL)
Category: Investors & Shareholders
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# 16957, created on 02/10/25 at 13:56 - Updated on 05/02/26 at 16:40
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