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Ivan Levingston

@ivanlevingston.bsky.social

5.5K followers 67 following 14 posts

FT M&A reporter

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Ivan Levingston @ivanlevingston.bsky.social · Aug 18

Latest scoop on an education deal that looks like it won’t get over the line…

Financial Times @financialtimes.com · Aug 18

Private equity sale of €6bn fee-paying schools group Cognita on brink of collapse on.ft.com/4fF9cFo

Private equity sale of €6bn fee-paying schools group Cognita on brink of collapse

Blackstone and CVC had expressed interest in company even as private schools have been hit by UK tax on fees

Reposted by Ivan Levingston

Tony Tassell @tonytassell.bsky.social · Jul 23

Private equity firms made record use of a controversial tactic to cash out their clients by selling assets to themselves in the first half of the year, as they struggle to find external buyers or list holdings - rpt by @antoinegara.bsky.social @ivanlevingston.bsky.social www.ft.com/content/88a4...

Private equity firms flip assets to themselves in record numbers

Use of continuation funds to cash out investors comes amid prolonged downturn in dealmaking

Reposted by Ivan Levingston

A Reader of the FT @a-reader-ft.bsky.social · Jul 21

Elon Musk backer Vy Capital closes to outside investors after windfall-Vy has become a vital player in financing Musk’s dealmaking. In 2022, the group committed $700mn to Musk’s bid for Twitter — which… www.ft.com/content/a33f... @ivanlevingston.bsky.social @financialtimes.com

Elon Musk backer Vy Capital closes to outside investors after windfall

Secretive tech investment group has racked up gains after backing companies such as SpaceX and xAI

Reposted by Ivan Levingston

Ian Smith @iankmsmith.ft.com · Jul 18

Interesting one from @ivanlevingston.bsky.social @leeharris.ft.com

Cyber a growth market for insurance. It's the kind of IPO London should be targeting you'd say
www.ft.com/content/716e...

Private-equity backed insurer CFC weighs London listing

Cyber specialist group owned by EQT and Vitruvian is targeting a potential £5bn valuation

Reposted by Ivan Levingston

A Reader of the FT @a-reader-ft.bsky.social · Jun 29

…the implementation of promised reforms by the government and the stock exchange needed to outweigh complications caused by Brexit, the people said. @ivanlevingston.bsky.social

Reposted by Ivan Levingston

A Reader of the FT @a-reader-ft.bsky.social · Jun 29

Private equity-backed Visma picks London for blockbuster tech IPO—The decision to proceed with a listing in London early next year was provisional and contingent on… www.ft.com/content/f08c... @alexandraheal.bsky.social @financialtimes.com

Private equity-backed Visma picks London for blockbuster tech IPO

Hg’s €19bn software group provisionally selects UK over Amsterdam for listing next year

Reposted by Ivan Levingston

A Reader of the FT @a-reader-ft.bsky.social · Jun 24

Revolut chief in line for Musk-style payday at $150bn valuation-The London-based start-up’s profits more than doubled to £1bn last year as it surpassed 50mn customers… www.ft.com/content/c93e... @ivanlevingston.bsky.social @financialtimes.com

Revolut chief in line for Musk-style payday at $150bn valuation

Nik Storonsky struck deal before SoftBank funding round that awards him more shares if valuation clears set hurdles

Reposted by Ivan Levingston

A Reader of the FT @a-reader-ft.bsky.social · May 4

‘Royal Match’ maker Dream Games valued at almost $5bn in CVC deal-Dream Games has taken a different approach to most mobile developers, focusing on creating characters and storylines that would help retain users, and…
www.ft.com/content/eeb1... @tim.fo @financialtimes.com

‘Royal Match’ maker Dream Games valued at almost $5bn in CVC deal

Move will result in huge windfall for Turkish gaming company’s venture capital backers

Ivan Levingston @ivanlevingston.bsky.social · May 2

👏❤️

Reposted by Ivan Levingston

A Reader of the FT @a-reader-ft.bsky.social · Apr 3

Spain’s €20bn telecoms group MasOrange explores IPO-A MasOrange listing would provide some momentum to Europe’s IPO market, which has been slow… www.ft.com/content/f2d0... @kieranjsmith.bsky.social @financial-times.bsky.social

Spain’s €20bn telecoms group MasOrange explores IPO

Listing would provide momentum to Europe’s IPO market

Reposted by Ivan Levingston

Hannah Murphy @mshannahmurphy.bsky.social · Apr 1

FT SCOOP: US venture capital giant Andreessen Horowitz is in talks to invest in TikTok as part of an effort led by Trump to wrest control of the popular video app from its Chinese owners

on.ft.com/4iXce94

w @antoinegara.bsky.social @ivanlevingston.bsky.social & @georgehammond.bsky.social

Andreessen Horowitz in talks to help buy out TikTok’s Chinese owners

[FREE TO READ] Venture capital group could join last-gasp bid by allies of Donald Trump to take control of video app owned by ByteDance

Reposted by Ivan Levingston

A Reader of the FT @a-reader-ft.bsky.social · Mar 26

US activist Elliott takes 5% stake in RWE-RWE, one of Europe’s largest power producers with a significant renewables portfolio, last week announced it would slash €10bn in capital expenditure on green technologies…
www.ft.com/content/54ed... @ivanlevingston.bsky.social @financial-times.bsky.social

US activist Elliott takes 5% stake in RWE

Hedge fund calls for German energy group to accelerate share buybacks

Reposted by Ivan Levingston

A Reader of the FT @a-reader-ft.bsky.social · Mar 24

‘An insane offer’: the cyber start-up founder who squeezed another $9bn from Google—Wiz has emerged as a leader in the field of providing cyber security for the cloud, benefiting from… www.ft.com/content/64b3... @georgehammond.bsky.social @financial-times.bsky.social

‘An insane offer’: the cyber start-up founder who squeezed another $9bn from Google

Wiz chief executive Assaf Rappaport agrees higher sale price after turning down $23bn offer last summer

Reposted by Ivan Levingston

A Reader of the FT @a-reader-ft.bsky.social · Mar 21

Google parent Alphabet agrees $3.2bn break fee in Wiz deal—The large break fee shows how technology companies continue to brace themselves… www.ft.com/content/e6f5... @arashmassoudi.bsky.social @financial-times.bsky.social

Google parent Alphabet agrees $3.2bn break fee in Wiz deal

Decision reflects risk regulators could block takeover of cyber security start-up

Reposted by Ivan Levingston

A Reader of the FT @a-reader-ft.bsky.social · Mar 6

Adnoc and OMV announce deal to combine petrochemical assets-As the world’s appetite for gasoline and diesel begins to be eroded by the rise of electric vehicles, Middle Eastern oil producers… www.ft.com/content/0a12... @ivanlevingston.bsky.social @financial-times.bsky.social

Adnoc and OMV announce deal to combine petrochemical assets

Two companies say they are creating world’s fourth-largest group in plastics called polyolefins

Reposted by Ivan Levingston

mary childs @marychilds.bsky.social · Mar 5

Larry Fink of BlackRock briefed Marco Rubio and Trump about the Panama Canal port deal, according to this report from @ericgplatt.ft.com @kayewiggins.ft.com Chan Ho-him @ivanlevingston.bsky.social www.ft.com/content/81a1...

The billionaire elite who answered Donald Trump’s call on Panama Canal

How Li Ka-shing, Larry Fink and Adebayo Ogunlesi struck a $22.8bn ports deal within weeks

Reposted by Ivan Levingston

Ian Smith @iankmsmith.ft.com · Feb 26

“I just don’t see who’s going to use it"

Investors aren't bowled over by Pisces, the private share trading plan that increasingly seems to be carrying a lot of City-revival hopes

Story from @alexandraheal.bsky.social, Martin Arnold, @ivanlevingston.bsky.social
www.ft.com/content/8a70...

Rachel Reeves’ private share trading plan criticised by executives

Venture capitalists question who would use system designed to arrest slide of UK capital markets

Ivan Levingston @ivanlevingston.bsky.social · Jan 21

Monzo is stepping up IPO prep as it debates where to list: US vs UK

Scoop: on.ft.com/40Kn1vt

Fintech Monzo looks to US as board debates where to float

[FREE TO READ] Chief executive leaning towards New York listing, while board favours home market of London

Reposted by Ivan Levingston

Emma Dunkley @emdunks.bsky.social · Nov 26

Scoop: investment firm Canaccord explores potential sale of U.K. wealth business, by @ivanlevingston.bsky.social and Harriet Agnew

www.ft.com/content/5d11...

Canaccord explores options for UK wealth management business

Canadian financial services group working with Fenchurch Advisory on a strategic review of the venture

Ivan Levingston @ivanlevingston.bsky.social · Nov 25

The EU has joined Bluesky

Reposted by Ivan Levingston

Antoine Gara @antoinegara.bsky.social · Nov 20

Marc Rowan emerges as a top contender to be Donald Trump’s Treasury secretary

www.ft.com/content/cbe0...

Marc Rowan emerges as a top contender to be Donald Trump’s Treasury secretary

Private equity billionaire is considering job and is set to meet president-elect on Wednesday

Reposted by Ivan Levingston

Tony Tassell @tonytassell.bsky.social · Nov 20

Klarna’s US listing is a sad reflection of Europe’s failings to develop a single market - column by @richardmilne.bsky.social here www.ft.com/content/a448...

Klarna’s US listing is a sad reflection of Europe’s failings

Until there is a single market in areas from services to capital markets, more companies will choose American exchanges

Ivan Levingston @ivanlevingston.bsky.social · Nov 19

Is a sale of Perrier on tap?

www.ft.com/content/18d2...

Nestlé reduces profit outlook and announces $2.8bn cost-cutting drive

New chief executive Laurent Freixe to split off European bottled water business

Ivan Levingston @ivanlevingston.bsky.social · Nov 18

Of course.

Ivan Levingston @ivanlevingston.bsky.social · Nov 16

Permira made bank on its Klarna position. One of the better trades out there->