Leica Ownership Talks End as Kaufmann Family and Blackstone Keep Stakes

According to the Wall Street Journal, negotiations for a majority ownership in Leica Camera AG have concluded without a sale. The Kaufmann family, via ACM Projektentwicklung GmbH, maintains a 55% share, while Blackstone Group possesses 45%. In January, Bloomberg indicated that Andreas Kaufmann and Blackstone were exploring options to divest, attracting interest from HSG and Altor Equity Partners. Kaufmann purchased Leica over two decades ago for less than $2 billion, successfully shifting the company towards digital technology. Although revenue has dipped this year, it remains close to $670 million annually. Leica manufactures approximately 45 M Series cameras each day at its Wetzlar facility, with about half of its products sold through Leica Stores.