LEGO owner set to acquire Merlin Entertainments’ portfolio of theme parks

A consortium including LEGO owner KIRKBI and investment firms Blackstone and Canada Pension Plan Investment Board is set to acquire Merlin Entertainments.

Merlin Entertainments’ line-up of attractions includes Alton Towers, the London Eye, LEGOLAND and Madame Tussauds, and the offer values Merlin at around £4.77bn.

“As the long-term owner of the LEGO brand and as a strategic shareholder in Merlin since 2005, we have great pride and passion for this amazing company, its management team and its employees,” said KIRKBI CEO Søren Thorup Sørensen.

“With a shared understanding of the business and its culture, we believe that this group of investors has the unique collective resources necessary to equip Merlin, including the LEGOLAND Parks and LEGOLAND Discovery Centres, for their next phase of growth. We are committed to ensuring LEGOLAND and the other activities in Merlin reach their full potential, which we believe is best pursued under private ownership, in order to deliver fantastic experiences to visitors of all ages around the world.”

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