Merlin Enterainments to be brought by Lego owners

[KashmireHawker]

Lego Group's owners Kirkbi, along with a Blackstone asset management and Canadian pensions fund CPPIB have agreed a whopping £5.9 Billion takeover of Merlin Enterainments, which has Madume Tussauds, Legoland Windsor and Alton Towers amongest it's portfolio.

Hope it means something Lego related at Alton!
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/...in-madame-tussauds-alton-towers-a8978701.html

Lego’s founding family is part of a consortium that has agreed to take over Merlin, the owner of Madame Tussauds, in a deal valuing the company at £5.9bn.

Merlin operates attractions including Legoland in Windsor, Alton Towers, the London Eye and Peppa Pig World of Play in the US. It is planning to open a Legoland resort in New York but the project has been hit by a series of delays due to construction and regulator problems.


The company, which operates in 25 countries, has faced a number of setbacks in recent years, including lower numbers of tourists in central London after a series of terror attacks and £5m fine after an accident on a ride at Alton Towers injured 16 people.

Merlin’s share price jumped 14 per cent on Friday on the back of news about the deal.

 

[scotrail158713]

Wait - so Lego don’t own Legoland Windsor?

 

[Bletchleyite]

Wait - so Lego don’t own Legoland Windsor?

Well, they do now

A friend said a while back "Merlin own all the good attractions" - he had a point. They are quite good at that kind of thing. But the roller-coaster accident a few years back probably knocked them too hard for them to continue as an independent.

 

[cactustwirly]

Wait - so Lego don’t own Legoland Windsor?

Nope owned by Merlin, but uses the Lego name under licence

 

[Darandio]

And it's 'bought'. A bit of a bugbear with me that one.

 

[gazthomas]

I think it's a good outcome for Merlin, Lego are quite patriarchal and protective.