Guess goes private through Authentic deal
Authentic Brands Group has bought 51% of US brand Guess, with certain shareholders (the 'Rolling Stockholders') - including Maurice Marciano, Paul Marciano, Nicolai Marciano and Carlos Alberini and some of their respective trusts, foundations and affiliates – owning 49%, in a deal that values Guess at approximately $1.4 billion, including debt.
Current Guess management will continue to run the business and own 100% of the operating company.
Under the terms of the agreement, Guess shareholders (other than the Rolling Stockholders) will receive $16.75 per share in cash, representing a premium of 73% to Guess’s common stock price on March 14, 2025, the last trading day prior to Guess’s announcement of its receipt of an acquisition proposal.
Paul Marciano, Guess co-founder and chief creative officer, said: “Over our 44-year history, Guess has established itself as a global leader in the fashion industry, and today marks another significant milestone on our journey.
“Guess has always worked to create a strong network of licensing partners, and joining forces with Authentic – the world’s second largest licensor with a powerful lifestyle and entertainment platform – will enable us to build on this foundation and expand our reach as a global lifestyle brand.”
Jamie Salter, CEO of Authentic, added: “We have tremendous respect for the Marcianos and their team, who have built an innovative, heritage-rich brand with incredible global reach and an established ecosystem of partners. We are excited to build on this legacy in partnership with them as Guess enters its next chapter within our platform.”
Guess directly operates 1,074 retail stores in Europe, the Americas and Asia and its partners operate 527 additional retail stores worldwide.
