News

NEW YORK, US - SRAM investor Lehman Brothers Merchant Banking (LBMB) is about to enter a new phase after the bankruptcy of parent company Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. last September.

Unconfirmed sources have stated that Lehman Brothers’s private-equity arm has reached an agreement with its collapsed parent to spin out into an independent firm, while taking in a new investment from luxury-goods billionaire Johann Rupert from South Africa.

Also Lehman estate will retain a substantial interest in LBMB. The new company will be owned by the firm's current management, which is led by chief Charlie Ayers. It is unclear how much the management is paying.

This private equity investor has US$ 4.5 billion under management, and holds stakes in more than a dozen portfolio companies including SRAM. LBMB has a 40% stake in SRAM.