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Technology > Investment Platforms

AssetMark Sold to PE Firm for $2.7B

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Platform provider AssetMark is being acquired by the private equity firm GTCR for $2.7 billion, the two firms said Thursday. The deal comes seven and a half years after China-based Huatai Securities bought a majority stake in AssetMark for $768 million.

“This transaction is a testament to the support and commitment of Huatai …, and the hard work of the entire AssetMark team,” AssetMark CEO Michael Kim said in a statement. “Together with Huatai, we have accomplished remarkable results, and we look forward to partnering with GTCR on the next phase of growth.” 

Based in Concord, California, AssetMark has about $117 billion of assets on its platform and serves roughly 9,300 financial advisors. 

“AssetMark is a leader in the wealth technology industry, combining a high-quality service orientation with innovative technology and products that financial advisors rely on to support their clients,” said Collin Roche, co-CEO and managing director of GTCR, in a statement.

“We would like to congratulate Huatai Securities, AssetMark’s majority shareholder, on the substantial increase in the scale and profile of the business during Huatai Securities’ majority ownership which began in 2016,” Roche added.

The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals and is expected to close in the fourth quarter. Once the transaction closes, AssetMark’s common stock will no longer be listed on any public securities market.

“We are highly enthusiastic about the opportunity to partner with Michael Kim and the AssetMark team,” Michael Hollander, managing director at GTCR, said in a statement. “In addition to organic initiatives, GTCR expects to support AssetMark as the company pursues additional inorganic M&A opportunities to further expand the leading service offering it provides to financial advisors.” 

In January, AssetMark launched a tax management services program to help advisors more efficiently engage in tax loss harvesting and efficient tax transitions.

That news came about four months after the Securities and Exchange Commission reached a settlement with AssetMark over the firm’s failure to adequately disclose conflicts of interest involving a cash sweep program operated by an affiliated custodian and its receipt of payments from some other custodians.

AssetMark agreed on Sept. 26 to pay $6.8 million of disgorgement, $2 million of prejudgment interest and a $9.5 million civil penalty.

Earlier in September, then-CEO Natalie Wolfsen left the firm to become CEO of Orion Advisor Solutions, and Kim was named its new CEO.

(Credit: Adobe Stock)


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