Danish toymaker Lego said on Wednesday it sold its Legoland theme parks to private-equity firm Blackstone Group for $457.2 million and a share of a newly formed entertainment group.
Lego said in a statement it, New York-based Blackstone and European entertainment firm Merlin had established a new business that will own and manage the four Legoland parks and Merlin’s present attraction brands.
In the deal, Blackstone, which owns Merlin, will buy the Legoland parks from the Danish firm and will take 70 percent of the shares in the new group. The remaining 30 percent will be held by Lego and its owners.
