BDT & MSD Partners

BDT & MSD Partners is a prominent merchant bank established in 2023 through the strategic combination of BDT & Company and MSD Partners. Headquartered in Chicago, the firm specializes in providing both advisory services and direct capital to family- and founder-led businesses globally. This unique dual approach allows them to offer comprehensive support, from strategic guidance on complex transactions to significant equity investments aimed at fostering long-term growth and value creation. The firm's heritage stems from BDT & Company's deep expertise in advising some of the world's most successful family enterprises and MSD Partners' history of managing capital for Michael Dell and his family, alongside other sophisticated investors.

With more than $50 billion in assets under management, BDT & MSD Partners operates at the upper echelon of the private capital market. Their investment management platform focuses on deploying substantial capital into established, often market-leading companies that align with their philosophy of patient, long-term partnership. Prior to the merger, BDT & Company alone had advised on deals exceeding $300 billion, demonstrating the profound transactional experience and network that underpins the combined entity. Their investment strategy typically involves taking significant, often majority, equity stakes in businesses, facilitating growth initiatives, strategic acquisitions, or ownership transitions.

Recent notable transactions underscore their capacity for large-scale investments. For instance, the firm was instrumental in the take-private of Weber, a deal valued at approximately $3.7 billion, and participated in the consortium that acquired Subway for around $9.6 billion. These examples highlight their comfort with multi-billion dollar enterprise values and their ability to deploy substantial checks. Consequently, their typical first check sizes for direct investments are considerable, generally ranging from hundreds of millions to over a billion dollars, reflecting their focus on mature, large-scale businesses rather than early-stage ventures.