Private investors snap up US education giant
The £760 million sale of BPP Law School owner Apollo Education Group has finally been completed, almost a year after plans to do so were first revealed.
Thanks to a trio of investment firms coming together to stump up the hefty asking price, Apollo Education — a public company on the New York Stock Exchange since 1994 — is now privately owned.
US-based for-profit education provider Apollo Education purchased BPP Holdings — owner of BPP Law School — back in 2009 for over £303 million. Alongside its UK operations, Apollo Education owns the University of Phoenix, Western International University and the College for Financial Planning.
Commenting on the new deal, Tony Miller — chairman of Apollo Education’s board of directors — said:
In this increasingly competitive global economy, it has never been more important to ensure more students graduate with the education, skills, and credentials that enable advancement in the job market. We believe we are uniquely positioned to enhance efforts by University of Phoenix and the other Apollo Education Group schools to improve student outcomes. We are excited about that opportunity, and we look forward to sharing more about our vision for the future in the weeks and months ahead.
Reports reveal that lawyers at New York-headquartered firm Sullivan & Cromwell advised Apollo Education on the deal, while the group of investors opted for international outfit Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison.
BPP, which was granted university status in 2013, isn’t the only law school to change hands in recent years. Back in 2015 the University of Law was sold to Global University Systems (GUS) for an undisclosed sum. The legal education provider was previously owned by Montagu Private Equity, which bought the then College of Law in 2012 for £200 million.
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