Photo Credit: Eva Rinaldi / CC by 2.0
Shamrock Capital, the media and entertainment investor that owns Taylor Swift’s masters, sells a minority stake in the firm.
RidgeLake Partners, a strategic partnership between Ottawa Avenue Private Capital and Apogem Capital, along with Bonaccord Capital Partners, have acquired a passive minority equity stake in Shamrock Capital — the LA-based investment firm that owns a substantial portion of Taylor Swift’s coveted catalog.
Shamrock has owned a bulk of Taylor Swift’s catalog since late 2020. In a surprise deal executed in that year, Scooter Braun and his investment firm Ithaca Holdings sold the catalog after just 16 months of ownership. The quick sale was likely a dump-off by a savvy Braun, who may have been looking to unload the baggage-heavy catalog. Shamrock Capital acquired the masters for a reported $300 million in a deal that Taylor Swift said was not on offer to her at the time.
“RidgeLake and Bonaccord’s strategic investment in Shamrock is an important milestone in the continued development of our business,” says Steve Royer, President at Shamrock Capital. “RidgeLake and its affiliates have been investing with Shamrock since 2005 and have been trusted partners for us through the course of our firm’s growth. We are excited about the opportunity to expand our relationship with RidgeLake, and look forward to a fruitful partnership with Bonaccord, as we believe that these firms are well-aligned with our long-term vision for Shamrock.”
“The depth of Shamrock’s relationships and experience in its core markets is unmatched and we believe their ability to partner with growth companies, founders, and creators globally will continue to thrive in the years ahead,” says Todd Milligan, co-head of RidgeLake Partners.
“We are thrilled to partner with Shamrock and look forward to supporting the successful, long-term growth of their unique investment platform,” adds Michael Lunt, co-head of RidgeLake Partners.
“We are proud to invest in Shamrock Capital, an exceptional middle-market sponsor with a consistent track record of investing in high-quality assets across media, entertainment, and communications, delivering results to its limited partners for over twenty years,” adds Ajay Chitkara, Managing Partner at Bonaccord. “We believe in Shamrock’s vision, and we look forward to actively partnering with Shamrock to support its long-term strategic goals.”
Since Shamrock made the 2020 catalog acquisition, Swift has been aggressively re-recording classics from her coveted early album collection. That, coupled with a decidedly non-cooperative stance towards Shamrock and other catalog investors, continues to dilute the value of the asset.