CI Financial agrees to take-private deal valuing firm at $8.7B

CI Financial agrees to take-private deal valuing firm at $8.7B
Kurt MacAlpine, CEO of CI Financial.
The financial giant once known for its aggressive US acquisition strategy is now being snapped up by a Middle Eastern sovereign wealth manager.
NOV 25, 2024

Editor's note: This story has been updated to reflect valuations and prices in US dollars. An earlier version of the story provided figures in Canadian dollars.

CI Financial, the Canadian parent company of Corient, has been acquired and will be taken private in a deal that values CI's enterprise at approximately $8.7 billion.

The deal announced Monday, which values CI's equity at about $3.4 billion, is with Mubadala Capital, the alternative asset management arm of Mubadala Investment Company.

All issued and outstanding CI shares will be acquired for a cash consideration of $22.90 per share, a 33 percent premium on the last closing price prior to the announcement of the transaction. 

CI will continue to operate with its current structure and management team. Kurt MacAlpine, CEO of CI, will continue in his role. The shares held by members of senior management will enter into equity rollover agreements.

The deal, unanimously approved by a special commitee of independent members of CI's board, recommends that CI shareholders vote in favour of the transaction. 

“This transaction, with its significant cash premium, represents an exceptional outcome for CI shareholders and provides certainty to shareholders while CI pursues its ongoing transformation,” said William E. Butt, CI’s lead director and chair of the special committee, said in a statement Monday. “It also provides significant benefits to Canada, by providing long-term capital to underpin the building of a Canadian champion in the wealth and asset management industries.”

Mubadala Investment Company is an Emirati sovereign investor headquartered in Abu Dhabi managing $302 billion in assets. 

“We are fully aligned with the strategy and direction of the firm and look forward to working with the CI management team to continue to build this outstanding business and ensure that CI continues to deliver superior services to its clients,” said Hani Barhoush, managing director and CEO of Mubadala Capital.

The deal, once approved, will provide valuable capital to support CI’s expansion into the US market under the Corient brand. Previously, MacAlpine had indicated Corient, formerly known as CI Private Wealth, would go public via an IPO in 2026

“We’re excited to continue to execute our U.S. strategy with our incredibly talented team,” said MacAlpine. “Notably, the transaction preserves Corient’s structure and its unique Private Partnership model, under which 250 of our colleagues are equity Partners in Corient. Our partnership model is highly differentiated in our industry – it allows us to deliver the best of the firm to all clients and creates a culture of collaboration and unified purpose.”
 

Latest News

Mesirow acquires part of flexPATH in second retirement deal of 2026
Mesirow acquires part of flexPATH in second retirement deal of 2026

Chicago-based Mesirow Fiduciary Solutions adds flexPATH's plan-level outsourced fiduciary book, boosting its retirement market reach to $164 billion.

Advisor moves: LPL lands $350M veteran advisor duo in Florida
Advisor moves: LPL lands $350M veteran advisor duo in Florida

Also, Raymond James's employee advisor channel adds breakaways from Wells Fargo and Stifel, while UBS welcomes an ex-Morgan Stanley duo in Indiana.

SEC accuses crypto firm founder of running $425 million Ponzi scheme
SEC accuses crypto firm founder of running $425 million Ponzi scheme

It promised guaranteed principal and 10% monthly returns. The SEC says it invested nothing.

MassMutual Ascend tops $2 billion in RIA annuity sales as advisors warm to income products
MassMutual Ascend tops $2 billion in RIA annuity sales as advisors warm to income products

Ten years after entering the fee-based annuity market, MassMutual Ascend says nearly half its lifetime sales came in the past two years alone – but barriers remain among fee-only advisors.

Fintech bytes: Wealth tech firms target advisor productivity with new integrations
Fintech bytes: Wealth tech firms target advisor productivity with new integrations

Amplify, WealthReach, Zeplyn and Zocks have unveiled partnerships aimed at automating portfolio management, content creation, account opening, and client communication.

SPONSORED Direct indexing webinar targets tax-loss harvesting amid market swings

Northern Trust’s Ken Lassner shows advisors how to convert volatility into after-tax portfolio gains

SPONSORED Who builds the income when the pension disappears?

Dan Biagini of American Equity says the steady decline of pensions, longer lifespans and a reset in interest rates are rewriting how advisors build retirement income