Macquarie Group engaged in preliminary discussions to acquire Carlyle Group earlier this year, according to a report by Semafor. These talks, however, have since faded. The Australian Financial Review has contacted Macquarie for comment regarding the matter. Macquarie is a diversified financial group providing clients with asset management and finance, banking, advisory and risk and capital solutions across debt, equity, and commodities. Carlyle is a global investment firm that invests across private equity, credit, and real estate.
The potential transaction would have formed a global investment powerhouse, uniting Carlyle’s expertise in private equity, credit, and real estate with Macquarie’s established strength in infrastructure. Sources familiar with the situation indicated to Semafor that the discussions lost momentum in recent months.
The fading of these talks coincided with the increasing success of Carlyle CEO Harvey Schwartz’s plan to revitalise the firm. Schwartz’s strategies appear to have instilled confidence in Carlyle’s trajectory as an independent entity.
A combination of Macquarie and Carlyle would have resulted in a firm surpassing other private-capital firms like KKR and Ares in terms of assets under management, solidifying its position as a market leader, Semafor reported.
