KKR to launch public delisting offer for all outstanding Axel Springer SE shares

DGAP-Media / 2020-01-23 / 22:39 
 
*KKR to launch public delisting offer for all outstanding **Axel Springer SE 
shares * 
 
23 January 2020 - Traviata B.V., a holding company owned by funds advised by 
KKR, today announced its intention to make a public delisting offer 
("Delisting Offer") for all outstanding shares (ISIN: DE0005501357, 
DE0005754238) of Axel Springer SE ("Axel Springer") that are not already 
held by KKR. 
 
Shareholders will receive EUR 63 per Axel Springer share in cash, 
corresponding to the offer price of the preceding voluntary public tender 
offer that was completed in December 2019. Following the closing of the 
voluntary public tender offer in December 2019, KKR is now one of two major 
shareholders of Axel Springer, holding approximately 44.9 percent of Axel 
Springer's share capital. 
 
Following the closing of the previous voluntary public tender offer, KKR 
along with Dr. hc. Friede Springer and Dr. Mathias Döpfner, formed a 
consortium in order to jointly further develop Axel Springer. Neither Dr. 
hc. Friede Springer nor Dr. Mathias Döpfner will sell shares that are held 
by them directly or indirectly as part of the Delisting Offer. Together they 
hold approximately 45.4 percent of Axel Springer's share capital. 
 
In addition, KKR and Axel Springer today entered into an agreement, pursuant 
to which Axel Springer has undertaken, to the extent permissible by law, to 
apply for the revocation of the admission to trading of the Axel Springer 
shares (ISIN: DE0005501357) on the regulated market (Prime Standard) of the 
Frankfurt Stock Exchange (so-called delisting) prior to the expiration of 
the acceptance period of the Delisting Offer. 
 
The Delisting Offer will only be made pursuant to an offer document to be 
approved by the German Federal Financial Supervisory Authority 
(Bundesanstalt für Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht, BaFin). This offer 
document will be published following receipt of permission from BaFin, at 
which point the Delisting Offer will commence. The offer document and other 
information pertaining to the Delisting Offer will be made in accordance 
with the German Securities Acquisition and Takeover Act (Wertpapiererwerbs- 
und Übernahmegesetz - WpÜG) on the following website: 
www.traviata-angebot.de/delisting. The acceptance period will be four weeks 
starting from publication of the offer document. There will be no additional 
acceptance period. The Delisting Offer will not be subject to any closing 
conditions. 
 
### 
 
*KKR Media Contacts: Germany* 
 
Raphael Eisenmann               Stephanie Lorbach 
Hering Schuppener Consulting    Hering Schuppener Consulting 
Phone: [phone]       Phone: [phone] 
Mobile: [phone]     Mobile: [phone] 
Email:                          Email: 
[e-mail] [e-mail] 
 
*KKR Media Contact: 
International * 
 
Alastair Elwen 
Finsbury 
Phone: [phone] 
Mobile: [phone] 
Email: 
[e-mail] 
 
*About KKR * 
 
KKR is a leading global investment firm that manages multiple alternative 
asset classes, including private equity, energy, infrastructure, real estate 
and credit, with strategic partners that manage hedge funds. KKR aims to 
generate attractive investment returns for its fund investors by following a 
patient and disciplined investment approach, employing world-class people, 
and driving growth and value creation with KKR portfolio companies. KKR 
invests its own capital alongside the capital it manages for fund investors 
and provides financing solutions and investment opportunities through its 
capital markets business. References to KKR's investments may include the 
activities of its sponsored funds. For additional information about KKR & 
Co. Inc. (NYSE: KKR), please visit KKR's website at www.kkr.com and on 
Twitter @KKR_Co. 
 
*About Axel Springer * 
 
Axel Springer is a media and technology company and active in more than 40 
countries. By providing information across its diverse media brands (among 
others BILD, WELT, BUSINESS INSIDER, POLITICO Europe) and classifieds 
portals (StepStone Group and AVIV Group) Axel Springer SE empowers people to 
make free decisions for their lives. Today, the transformation from a 
traditional print media company to Europe's leading digital publisher has 
been successfully accomplished. The next goal has been identified: Axel 
Springer wants to become global market leader in digital content and digital 
classifieds through accelerated growth. The company is headquartered in 
Berlin and employs more than 16,300 people worldwide. In the fiscal year 
2018, Axel Springer generated 71 percent of revenues with its digital 
activities which also contributed 84 percent to earnings (adj. EBITDA). 
 
*Disclaimer* 
 
This announcement is neither an offer to purchase nor a solicitation of an 
offer to sell shares of Axel Springer. The definite terms of the Delisting 
Offer, as well as further provisions concerning the Delisting Offer, will be 
published in the offer document following permission by the German Federal 
Financial Supervisory Authority (Bundesanstalt für 
Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht) to publish the offer document. The Delisting 
Offer for the purchase of shares of Axel Springer has not yet begun. 
Investors and holders of shares of Axel Springer are strongly advised to 
read the offer document and all other documents regarding the Delisting 
Offer when they become available, as they will contain important 
information. 
 
The Delisting Offer will be published exclusively under the laws of the 
Federal Republic of Germany and certain applicable provisions of the 
securities laws of the United States of America. The Delisting Offer 
documentation as well as further documents regarding the Delisting Offer 
will be available at www.traviata-angebot.de/delisting. Any contract 
concluded on the basis of the Delisting Offer will be exclusively governed 
by the laws of the Federal Republic of Germany and is to be interpreted in 
accordance with such laws. 
 
To the extent permissible under applicable law or regulation, and in 
accordance with German market practice, Traviata B.V., its affiliates or its 
brokers may purchase, or conclude agreements to purchase, shares of Axel 
Springer, directly or indirectly, outside of the scope of the Delisting 
Offer, before, during or after the period in which the offer remains open 
for acceptance. This also applies to other securities which are directly 
convertible into, exchangeable for, or exercisable for shares of Axel 
Springer. These purchases may be completed via the stock exchange at market 
prices or outside the stock exchange at negotiated conditions. Any 
information on such purchases will be disclosed as required by law or 
regulation in Germany or any other relevant jurisdiction and on 
www.traviata-angebot.de/delisting. 
 
End of Media Release 
 
Issuer: KKR & Co. Inc. 
Key word(s): Internet and Multimedia 
 
2020-01-23 Dissemination of a Press Release, transmitted by DGAP - a service 
of EQS Group AG. 
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. 
 
The DGAP Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements, 
Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases. 
Archive at www.dgap.de 
959973 2020-01-23 
 
 

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

January 23, 2020 16:39 ET (21:39 GMT)