Bridgepoint, Bain Capital, and Aquiline compete to pursue W1M – report
Bridgepoint, Bain Capital, and Aquiline are among private equity firms participating in the sale process for UK wealth management firm W1M, reported Bloomberg citing sources.
The auction has moved to a second bidding round, the sources said.
Access deeper industry intelligence
Experience unmatched clarity with a single platform that combines unique data, AI, and human expertise.
W1M generates approximately £70m ($93.7m) in earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation.
Several private credit firms are considering financing the transaction. Ares, W1M’s current lender, has offered staple financing.
Rothschild is advising W1M on the sale, the news publication added.
Details of the process have previously been reported.
W1M was created in 2024 through the combination of Waverton Investment Management Group and London and Capital Group.
Lovell Minnick, a US private equity firm, invested in the company in 2023, according to its portfolio page.
Ares, Aquiline, Bain Capital, Bridgepoint, and W1M declined to comment. Lovell Minnick and Rothschild did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The W1M process comes as private equity groups continue to assess transactions in wealth management.
In July, the Financial Times reported that Carlyle and Bain Capital were competing to buy Wealth Enhancement in a deal that could value the wealth management platform at about $7bn, including debt.
Wealth Enhancement manages nearly $160bn in client assets, according to the report. Its owners, TA Associates and Onex, have put the business up for sale.
Aquiline separately agreed last month to invest in Flourish, MassMutual’s wealth technology business.
Flourish provides registered investment advisors with banking-style tools for client services.
The transaction is expected to complete in the fourth quarter of 2026, subject to standard closing conditions and regulatory approval.
Aquiline will become Flourish’s controlling shareholder once the deal closes.
