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Digital Colony and EQT become Zayo's lead investors.
March 9, 2020
BOULDER, Colo. – Zayo Group Holdings, Inc. ("Zayo") (NYSE: ZAYO), which provides mission-critical bandwidth to the world's most impactful companies, today announced the completion of its acquisition by affiliates of Digital Colony Partners ("Digital Colony") and the EQT Infrastructure IV fund ("EQT" or "EQT Infrastructure"). The close marks the consummation of the $14.3 billion transaction, which represents the largest syndicated private equity investment, the fifth largest Media & Communications LBO and the second largest LBO overall since 2008.
Under the terms of the merger agreement, which was approved by Zayo's stockholders at a special meeting held on July 26, 2019, Zayo stockholders will receive $35 in cash per share of Zayo common stock. As a result of the transaction completion, Zayo is now a privately held company and its common stock has ceased trading on the NYSE.
Founded in 2007, Zayo has grown through both organic investment and 45 acquisitions to become the leading independent provider of communications infrastructure. With deep, dense metro and long haul networks across the U.S., Canada and Western Europe, Zayo serves many of the largest and most innovative companies in the world. Before going public in 2014, Zayo's original private equity investors funded the company with just over $1 billion of equity; with today's transaction close, that equity is worth over $8 billion, creating material value for shareholders. Beyond shareholder value, Zayo has also established itself over the past 13 years as a top employer along Colorado's front range and as an active participant in the communities in which it operates.
Goldman Sachs and J.P. Morgan served as financial advisors to Zayo Group in connection with the transaction and Skadden Arps served as legal counsel. Morgan Stanley and Deutsche Bank acted as financial advisors to Digital Colony and EQT Infrastructure and Simpson Thacher served as legal advisor.
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