mynth
03/2011

BULGARI acquired by LVMH

ITALY Luxury Goods / Watches & Jewelry EV 3b - 100b EUR

Context

LVMH acquired Bulgari in a significant, friendly, and strategic transaction. The deal was structured via a two-step acquisition process. In Step 1, the Bulgari family contributed its 50.4% controlling stake (152.5 million shares) to LVMH. In exchange, LVMH issued 16.5 million new shares, making the Bulgari family the second-largest family shareholder in LVMH with a 3.5% stake, and granting them two seats on the LVMH Board of Directors. In Step 2, as Bulgari was a listed entity in Milan, the transaction triggered a mandatory public buyout offer for the remaining 49.6% minority shares. LVMH launched an all-cash tender offer, financed equally through its available cash reserves and new debt. The transaction immediately doubled LVMH’s jewelry and watch revenues, scaling the division to represent 10% of group sales and creating a true global challenger to Richemont’s Cartier. In exchange, Bulgari gained immediate access to LVMH’s institutional global distribution reach, real estate leverage, and downstream supply chain efficiencies in raw material purchasing.

BULGARI, which reported an EBITDA margin of LOGIN in 2010, is valued in this transaction at an EV/EBITDA multiple of LOGIN, a level LOGIN than the average currently observed in the Retail & Consumer sector (11.0x).

Note that this data is based on contribution from our growing community, composed of M&A and Private Equity professionals, and has been verified by our team to ensure its accuracy.

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Target

Bulgari is an iconic Italian luxury house globally renowned for its high jewelry, fine watchmaking, fragrances, and premium accessories. Founded in Rome in 1884 by Greek silversmith Sotirio Bulgari, the brand developed a distinct design language characterized by bold color combinations, voluminous architectural shapes, and Roman heritage motifs. Its business model relies on heavy vertical integration across high-end craftsmanship (specifically in Valenza for jewelry and Switzerland for watches), paired with a global retail network of mono-brand boutiques. The organization derives roughly 66% of its business from the high-margin jewelry and watch segments.

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Historical Financials (EUR)

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REFERENCES

Valuation range: EV 3b - 100b EUR

Revenue range: 750M - 1.3b EUR

EBITDA range: 100M - 200M EUR

Note: This page provides detailed data on a private equity M&A transaction. Detailed and exact financial metrics for the acquisition of BULGARI by LVMH are reserved for mynth community members. Register for free to unlock full data.

Authors: verified mynth contributor (mynth data is contributed by M&A / PE professionals and systematically cross-verified with private deal documents and official press releases).

Press release: view release

Target: bulgari

Acquirer: lvmh