Guess Goes Private: Authentic Brands Secures Majority Stake in Iconic Label

Authentic Brands completes the purchase of Guess. The U.S. group has completed the transaction under which it now owns 51% of the fashion retailer, in a transaction that definitively delists it from the stock market. The remaining 49% includes the two co-founders, Maurice, Paul and Nicolai Marciano, and the CEO, Carlos Alberini.

The U.S. company thus joins the Authentic Brands portfolio, which includes brands such as Champion, Reebok and Forever 21. The group is also part of the joint venture of giants Catalyst Brands, together with Simon Property, Brookfield and Shein.

The group estimates that the purchase of Guess, which has a global retail turnover of around 6 billion dollars, will increase Authentic Brands’ turnover to $38 billion worldwide.

Authentic Brands expects Guess to grow its annual turnover to $38 billion

The president of Authentic Brands, Matt Maddox, has assured that with this integration Guess “will have access to opportunities and environments where consumers have not yet experienced the brand”. Maddox said the company will expand by categories and geographies, among other novelties.

Along the same lines, the CEO of Guess, Carlos Alberini, has assured that with this acquisition the company will have “greater flexibility and additional resources to unlock new growth opportunities”.

The deal was announced in August 2025 and valued Guess at around $1.4 billion, including debt. However, Authentic Brands already announced in April last year its willingness to bid for the company, in a proposal that directly rivaled the one launched by the also U.S. group WHP Global in mid-March, but which conferred a lower valuation.

Guess, which ended its last full financial year on February 1st last year, posted a turnover of €2.87 billion, up 7.7% on the previous year. Despite increasing sales, however, Guess’ profit plunged to €60.4 million, a figure three times lower than the previous year.