Koch PE arm looking to bid for Forbes

Koch Inc.’s private equity arm is in ongoing talks on a bid to buy Forbes in partnership with another individual investor, reports Sara Fischer of Axios.

Fischer writes, “Koch Equity Development (KED) has a history of successful media investments, including its 2017 deal to back Meredith’s acquisition of Time Inc. with $650 million and its 2018 and 2019 investments in Getty Images worth $550 million.

“The big picture: Forbes’ current owner has been seeking a sale for years, but concerns about foreign ownership stymied two previous efforts.

“Between the lines: KED allocates roughly 10% of Koch Inc.’s profits towards acquisitions and long-term growth investments. The firm often targets companies that are poorly managed or undervalued.

“It will often partner with a strategic buyer on deals that aren’t part of Koch Inc.’s core competencies in manufacturing and technology.”

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Chris Roush

Chris Roush was the dean of the School of Communications at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Connecticut. He was previously Walter E. Hussman Sr. Distinguished Professor in business journalism at UNC-Chapel Hill. He is a former business journalist for Bloomberg News, Businessweek, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Tampa Tribune and the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. He is the author of the leading business reporting textbook "Show me the Money: Writing Business and Economics Stories for Mass Communication" and "Thinking Things Over," a biography of former Wall Street Journal editor Vermont Royster.