The proposed valuation equates to roughly ten times Golden Goose's expected year-end core profit, including debt. The Venice-based brand, known for its '500-plus distressed sneakers, recorded '655m in revenue and '227m in adjusted core earnings in 2024. HongShan has asked former Gucci chief executive Marco Bizzarri to become Golden Goose's future chairman. The Chinese private equity group plans to expand the company's directly operated retail network, with a particular focus on Asia, and is targeting a medium-term stock market listing once conditions improve. Golden Goose abandoned an IPO in Milan last year, citing volatility linked to European political uncertainty. A sale to HongShan would represent one of the largest luxury fashion transactions of the year and a major exit for Permira, which has backed the brand during a period of rapid global growth. Subscribe to our Newsletter to increase your edge. Don't worry about the news anymore, through our newsletter you'll receive weekly access to what is happening. Join 120,000 other PE professionals today....

The vehicle will focus on opportunities in the broadly syndicated loan market and aims to finance private equity-backed companies. The platform will be funded through SMBC's balance sheet and equity from Bain Capital's special situations franchise, with no new capital raised. Both firms will share governance rights. Angelo Rufino, partner and head of Bain's corporate special situations team in Europe, said the model could be replicated in other geographies. Gauthier Reymondier, who leads Bain's European credit business, said typical deal sizes would exceed '500m term loan B, with capacity to scale as the pipeline develops and market demand increases. Banks and private credit firms have increasingly worked together as sponsors seek deeper pools of capital. SMBC already operates a lending partnership with Park Square Capital, which helped support a '3.4bn direct-lending vehicle closed last year. Citigroup and Apollo agreed a similar $25bn private credit partnership in 2023. Subscribe to our Newsletter to increase your edge. Don't worry about the news anymore, through our newsletter you'll receive weekly access to what is happening. Join 120,000 other PE professionals today....

As part of the launch, the trust acquired interests in 11 US data centres from Blue Owl affiliates in a deal valued at about $1.5bn net of assumed debt. The sites are mostly leased to investment-grade and hyperscale tenants, underscoring the growing institutional appetite for digital infrastructure backed by long-term creditworthy customers. Roughly 55% of the vehicle's net assets came from private wealth clients, a segment that continues to play a bigger role in alternative investment fundraising. Blue Owl has intensified its focus on the data centre sector this year, providing more than $50bn in financing to facilities for Meta and Oracle. The firm recently said its digital infrastructure pipeline exceeds $100bn. The trust forms part of Blue Owl's broader evergreen platform. The firm bought data centre specialist IPI Partners last year for about $1bn, adding $10.5bn in managed assets. The vehicle will target data centres, fibre networks, towers, and related infrastructure assets on a perpetual basis....

Willow users will be able to invest in three evergreen funds with $11.7bn in combined assets: Carlyle Tactical Private Credit Fund, Goldman Sachs Real Estate Diversified Income Fund, and StepStone Private Markets. Mitchell Caplan, Willow's CEO, said this is the first time funds across private credit, real estate, and private equity are being launched simultaneously at such an accessible price point. The initiative reflects a wider push by the $1.7tn private credit industry to attract individual investors after years of focusing on institutions. Outside Willow's platform, minimum investments for these strategies are far higher. Bloomberg data shows StepStone's fund requires $1m, while Carlyle's credit vehicle has a $250,000 minimum. Willow previously offered access only through a managed portfolio, but the new structure allows investors to commit to a single fund for the first time. The vehicles are evergreen, allowing them to reinvest proceeds, issue new loans, and raise capital without a fixed end date. Periodic liquidity will be available....