Retail Authentic Brands Group expects IPO in next 12 months

The founder of Authentic Brands Group, the management firm behind dozens of retail and media names including Reebok, Champion and Brooks Brothers, said he expects to take the company public in the next 12 months as he announced a former Wynn Resorts CEO will be its next chief executive.

• Authentic Brands Group, the management firm behind dozens of retail and media brands, has tapped Matt Maddox, a public company veteran and former Wynn Resorts executive, as its next CEO.
• As part of the transition, founder Jamie Salter will become executive chairman.

• Authentic generates about $38 billion in systemwide retail sales and has become a major force in the retail industry, known for buying the intellectual property behind popular brands that are distressed or bankrupt and licensing that IP for lucrative royalties. 
• It has more than 50 brands in its portfolio, including Sports Illustrated, Guess and Juicy Couture, and has partnered with major figures like Shaquille O’Neal, David Beckham and Kevin Hart.
• Authentic was almost entirely focused on apparel retailers for years, but these days, Salter said he is looking more toward entertainment acquisitions, which are currently the “driving force” of the business.
IPO History
• 2021 Attempt: ABG filed an S-1 registration statement with the SEC in July 2021 for an IPO on the NYSE under the ticker AUTH. It aimed to raise around $1–1.5 billion at a roughly $10 billion valuation. The company withdrew the filing in early 2022 (or late 2021) after selling a significant private stake to investors like CVC Capital Partners and HPS Investment Partners, valuing the company at about $12.7 billion.