Private Equity · Profile from Private Equity Research Companion
Platinum Equity
Beverly Hills-based private equity firm founded by Tom Gores in 1995, built on buying complex, unloved corporate carve-outs and fixing them with an in-house operations team — a model it brands "M&A&O" (Mergers, Acquisitions & Operations).
At a glance
- Founded
- 1995
- Founder
- Tom Gores (Chairman & CEO)
- HQ
- Beverly Hills, California (offices in New York, Greenwich, Boston, London, Singapore, etc.)
- Strategy
- Control buyouts — corporate carve-outs, take-privates and secondary buyouts in industrials, distribution, technology services, chemicals, consumer and media; Small Cap fund for lower middle market
- AUM
- ~$48–50bn+ (firm-reported mid-2020s; approximate)
- Flagship funds
- Platinum Equity Capital Partners I–VI; Platinum Equity Small Cap Fund
- Portfolio scale
- Firm has reported completing 400+ acquisitions since inception (including add-ons)
- Notable deals
- Vertiv, Ingram Micro, Husky, McGraw Hill, Solenis/Diversey, BlueLine Rental, Ryerson, Securus, Wesco/Incora, LifeScan, Jostens, Club Car
11 deals and moves analysed
Each one gets a full strategy file in the companion: context, the decision, the financing, what happened, and the lesson.
2007
Ryerson
Public-to-Private Take-Private
2009
San Diego Union Tribune
Distressed Family-Owned Media Acquisition
2011
Volvo Rents BlueLine Rental
Corporate Carve-Out
2016
Vertiv
Corporate Carve-Out
2017
Securus Technologies
Secondary Buyout
2018
Husky Injection Molding
Secondary Buyout
2018
LifeScan
Corporate Carve-Out from Johnson & Johnson
2020
Wesco Aircraft Incora
Take-Private and Merger with Pattonair
2021
Ingram Micro
Corporate Carve-Out from a Distressed Owner
2021
McGraw Hill
Secondary Buyout
2021
Solenis
Secondary Buyout + Platform Merger