US private equity giant Blackstone has pledged to rebuild scandal-plagued Crown Resorts aftercompleting its buyout of the Packer family’s stricken casino empirefor $8.9 billion on Friday.
Crown Resorts ended its 15 years on the ASX boards on Friday afternoon, bookending one of the biggest corporate scandals in Australian history with a $3.26 billion golden parachute for major shareholder James Packer.
James Packer’s run on the ASX has come to a close, after Blackstone completed its acquisition of Crown Resorts. AAP
Chris Tynan, Blackstone’s head of real estate, said on Friday that the private equity giant was prepared to invest “significant capital and resources to rebuild Crown into an iconic destination for travel and leisure that everyone can be proud of”.
“Blackstone has built a strong Australian presence over the last 12 years. We look forward to supporting the local economy, creating jobs, and attracting visitors to Crown’s exceptional properties,” he said.
The casino group’s final trading day on the ASX comes just two days afterCrown and Blackstone were granted a provisional permit to open the gaming floorsatop the $2.3 billion Barangaroo Tower on Sydney’s Darling Harbour for the first time.
Mr Packer’s multibillion dollar paydayfrom the sale of his 37 per cent stake in Crown comes almost 18 months after the NSW regulatorbanned the company from opening the Sydney casinofollowing an explosive inquiry in late 2020.
Blackstone said on Friday it had still not set a firm opening date for the high roller casino.
