World Largest Asset Manager $11 Trillion BlackRock Completes Acquisition of Private Markets Data Provider Preqin for $3.2 Billion in Cash, Preqin Founded in 2003 by ex-Boston Consulting Group Manager Mark O’Hare Who Founded Equity Shareholdings Information Service Citywatch (Now Part of Refinitiv), Preqin Owned by Mark O’Hare Family Holding Company, Valhalla Ventures, Preqin Management & Employees, Mark O’Hare Joins BlackRock as Vice-Chair
5th March 2025 | Hong Kong
The world’s largest asset manager BlackRock ($11 trillion AUM) has completed the acquisition of private markets data provider Preqin for $3.2 billion in cash. In 2025 February, the UK Competition & Markets Authority has approved BlackRock acquisition of private markets data provider Preqin for $3.2 billion in cash. In 2024 July, BlackRock has announced to buy private markets data provider Preqin for $3.2 billion in cash. Preqin was founded in 2003 by ex-Boston Consulting Group (BCG) manager Mark O’Hare, who founded equity shareholdings information service Citywatch prior to founding Preqin (Now part of Refinitiv). Preqin is currently owned by Mark O’Hare family holding company, Valhalla Ventures, Preqin management & employees. Mark O’Hare joins BlackRock as a Vice-Chair after the close of transaction (year-end 2024). In 2024, Preqin billionaires founders husband & wife Mark & Lindy O’Hare had paid the UK 5th highest personal tax of £204 million. BlackRock (3/3/25): “BlackRock Inc. (NYSE:BLK) today announced the successful completion of its acquisition of Preqin, a premier independent provider of private markets data. This strategic transaction strengthens BlackRock’s ability to serve clients’ whole portfolios — across public and private markets — by combining investment, technology, and data solutions in one platform. Private markets are the fastest-growing segment of global investing, with alternative assets projected to reach $30 trillion by the end of the decade, according to Preqin data. As capital markets evolve, private markets are playing an increasingly important role in financing global growth. Institutional and wealth investors continue to increase allocations to these markets as they seek to optimize returns and diversify their long-term capital, yet these allocations have been artificially limited by a lack of transparency. With Preqin, BlackRock takes a major step forward to address this need, positioning its private markets platform to deliver investments, technology, and data holistically to power next-generation investment solutions for clients … … From the outset, Preqin will extend BlackRock’s suite of technology offerings, with clients continuing to use Preqin with the same level of expert service. Preqin will remain available as a standalone solution, while joint customers will benefit immediately from product integrations, such as access to Preqin benchmarks within Aladdin. Over time, BlackRock will integrate Preqin’s proprietary data and research tools with Aladdin and eFront. This unification of data, research, and investment processes will transform private markets investing across fundraising, deal sourcing, portfolio management, accounting, and performance reporting. The acquisition significantly enhances BlackRock’s investment technology capabilities, marking a strategic expansion into the rapidly growing private markets data segment, which is expected to grow to an $18 billion total addressable market by 2030. With a history spanning over 20 years, Preqin is an industry-recognised independent data solutions provider in private markets, empowering investors to make informed decisions by providing data and insights that enhance transparency and access across the global alternatives market. Its platform covers 210,000 funds and has over 220,000 users, including asset managers, insurers, pensions, wealth managers, banks, and other service providers.”
“ World Largest Asset Manager $11 Trillion BlackRock Completes Acquisition of Private Markets Data Provider Preqin for $3.2 Billion in Cash, Preqin Founded in 2003 by ex-Boston Consulting Group Manager Mark O’Hare Who Founded Equity Shareholdings Information Service Citywatch (Now Part of Refinitiv), Preqin Owned by Mark O’Hare Family Holding Company, Valhalla Ventures, Preqin Management & Employees, Mark O’Hare Joins BlackRock as Vice-Chair “
Rob Goldstein, BlackRock’s Chief Operating Officer: “BlackRock is a perpetual reinvention machine, evolving continuously to stay ahead of our clients’ rapidly changing needs. Today clients are seeking a ‘common language’ for investing that requires better data to drive investment decisions, manage risk, and construct portfolios. With Preqin, a part of BlackRock, we will seek to meet this need, accelerating clients’ ability to allocate to the growth of private markets and furthering our aspirations to deliver greater value across their whole portfolios.”
Mark O’Hare, Founder of Preqin: “For decades, investors in private markets have lacked the robust data they need to make fully informed decisions and incorporate private assets into their portfolios at scale. By marrying Preqin with BlackRock’s technology offering, we are even better placed to tackle this challenge and help clients build more diverse, resilient portfolios by delivering the transparency and insights they seek.”
Sudhir Nair, Global Head of Aladdin: “We are on a journey to make private markets more accessible and transparent for clients through data and technology. We accelerated this ambition in 2019 with our acquisition of eFront, enhancing private markets investment technology and, in combination with Aladdin, enabling the whole portfolio across public and private assets. Today, this ambition takes another leap forward with the addition of Preqin’s data, benchmarks, and analytics capabilities.”
BlackRock – BlackRock’s purpose is to help more and more people experience financial well-being. As a fiduciary to investors and a provider of financial technology, we help millions of people build savings that serve them throughout their lives by making investing easier and more affordable. For additional information on BlackRock, please visit www.blackrock.com/corporate
Preqin, a part of BlackRock – Preqin empowers financial professionals who invest in or allocate to private markets with essential data and insight to make confident decisions. It supports them throughout the entire investment lifecycle with critical information and leading analytics solutions. Preqin has pioneered rigorous methods of collecting private data for over 20 years, enabling more than 200,000 professionals globally to streamline how they raise capital, source deals and investments, understand performance, and stay informed. Acquired by BlackRock in 2025, Preqin complements the existing Aladdin technology platform to provide investment solutions for the whole portfolio. For more information visit www.preqin.com.
UK Competition & Markets Authority Approves BlackRock Acquisition of Private Markets Data Provider Preqin for $3.2 Billion in Cash, Preqin Founded in 2003 by ex-Boston Consulting Group Manager Mark O’Hare Who Founded Equity Shareholdings Information Service Citywatch (Now Part of Refinitiv), Preqin Owned by Mark O’Hare Family Holding Company, Valhalla Ventures, Preqin Management & Employees, Mark O’Hare Joins BlackRock as Vice-Chair, Preqin Billionaires Founders Husband & Wife Mark & Lindy O’Hare Paid UK 5th Highest Personal Tax of £204 Million in 2024
13th February 2025 – The UK Competition & Markets Authority has approved BlackRock acquisition of private markets data provider Preqin for $3.2 billion in cash. In 2024 July, the world’s largest asset manager BlackRock with $10 trillion AUM has announced to buy private markets data provider Preqin for $3.2 billion in cash. Preqin was founded in 2003 by ex-Boston Consulting Group (BCG) manager Mark O’Hare, who founded equity shareholdings information service Citywatch prior to founding Preqin (Now part of Refinitiv). Preqin is currently owned by Mark O’Hare family holding company, Valhalla Ventures, Preqin management & employees. Mark O’Hare will be joining BlackRock as a Vice-Chair after the close of transaction (year-end 2024). In 2024, Preqin billionaires founders husband & wife Mark & Lindy O’Hare had paid the UK 5th highest personal tax of £204 million.
World Largest $10 Trillion Asset Manager BlackRock to Buy Private Markets Data Provider Preqin for $3.2 Billion in Cash, Preqin Founded in 2003 by ex-Boston Consulting Group Manager Mark O’Hare Who Founded Equity Shareholdings Information Service Citywatch (Now Part of Refinitiv), Preqin Owned by Mark O’Hare Family Holding Company, Valhalla Ventures, Preqin Management & Employees, Mark O’Hare to Join BlackRock as a Vice-Chair
1st July 2024 – The world’s largest asset manager BlackRock with $10 trillion AUM has announced to buy private markets data provider Preqin for $3.2 billion in cash. Preqin was founded in 2003 by ex-Boston Consulting Group (BCG) manager Mark O’Hare, who founded equity shareholdings information service Citywatch prior to founding Preqin (Now part of Refinitiv). Preqin is currently owned by Mark O’Hare family holding company, Valhalla Ventures, Preqin management & employees. Mark O’Hare will be joining BlackRock as a Vice-Chair after the close of transaction (year-end 2024). BlackRock (30/6/24): “BlackRock, Inc. (NYSE: BLK) has agreed to acquire Preqin, a leading independent provider of private markets data for £2.55 billion or approximately $3.2 billion in cash. Bringing together Preqin’s data and research tools with Aladdin’s complementary workflow capabilities in a unified platform will create a preeminent private markets technology and data provider. The acquisition adds a highly complementary data business to BlackRock’s investment technology, marking a strategic expansion into the fast-growing private markets data segment. Private markets are the fastest growing segment of asset management, with alternative assets expected to reach nearly $40 trillion by the end of the decade. As institutional and wealth investors increase allocations to alternatives, BlackRock has built a leading private markets franchise to meet this client demand. There is an even greater need for standardized data, benchmarks, and analytics that enable investors to better incorporate private asset classes into portfolios and provide fund managers with better data and tools to deliver outcomes for clients. Private markets data is estimated to be an $8 billion total addressable market and growing 12% per year, reaching $18 billion by 2030. Preqin empowers investors to make better decisions by providing data and insights that increase transparency and access across the global alternatives market. With a 20-year history, Preqin is a leading independent data solutions provider in private markets with global coverage of 190,000 funds, 60,000 fund managers and 30,000 private markets investors, reaching more than 200,000 users, including asset managers, insurers, pensions, wealth managers, banks, and other service providers. In 2024, Preqin is expected to generate ~$240 million of highly recurring revenue and has grown approximately 20% per year in the last three years. Through the Aladdin platform, BlackRock provides technology solutions to over 1,000 clients. The combination of Preqin with eFront, Aladdin’s private markets solution, brings together the data, research, and investment process for fund managers and investors across fundraising, deal sourcing, portfolio management, accounting, and performance. Preqin will also continue to be offered as a standalone solution. Preqin founder Mark O’Hare will join BlackRock as a Vice Chair after the close of the transaction.” Terms of the Transaction – Under the terms of the transaction, BlackRock will acquire 100% of the business and assets of Preqin for total consideration of £2.55 billion or approximately $3.2 billion in cash. The transaction is expected to close before year-end 2024, subject to regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions. Barclays served as lead financial advisor to BlackRock, with Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom acting as legal counsel. Goldman Sachs International served as the sole financial advisor, and Macfarlanes acted as legal counsel, to Preqin.
Rob Goldstein, BlackRock COO: “BlackRock’s vision has always been to bring together investments, technology, and data to offer solutions that meet our clients’ needs across their whole portfolio. As clients increasingly evolve their focus from choosing products to constructing portfolios, this shift requires technology, data, and analytics that create a ‘common language’ for investing across both public and private markets. We see data powering the industry across technology, capital formation, investing, and risk management. Every acquisition has been an opportunity to strengthen our capabilities for clients—and in fact, we have been a client of Preqin for many years, and we look forward to welcoming the talented Preqin team to BlackRock.”
Sudhir Nair, Global Head of Aladdin: “Together with Preqin, we can make private markets investing easier and more accessible while building a better-connected platform for investors and fund managers. This presents a substantial opportunity for Aladdin to bridge the transparency gap between public and private markets through data and analytics.”
Mark O’Hare, Founder of Preqin: “BlackRock is known for excellence in both investment management and financial technology, and together we can accelerate our efforts to deliver better private markets data and analytics to all of our clients at scale. I look forward to joining BlackRock and continuing to play a role in the continued growth and success of Preqin and our customers.”
Christoph Knaack, CEO of Preqin: “Private markets continue to evolve and so is Preqin. I am incredibly excited about the opportunities this next phase of growth, together with BlackRock, promises our customers and our employees.”
About BlackRock – BlackRock’s purpose is to help more and more people experience financial well-being. As a fiduciary to investors and a leading provider of financial technology, we help millions of people build savings that serve them throughout their lives by making investing easier and more affordable.
About Preqin – Preqin, the Home of Alternatives™, empowers financial professionals who invest in or allocate to alternatives with essential data and insight to make confident decisions. It supports them throughout the entire investment lifecycle with critical information and leading analytics solutions. The company has pioneered rigorous methods of collecting private data for over 20 years, enabling more than 200,000 professionals globally to streamline how they raise capital, source deals and investments, understand performance, and stay informed. Preqin is owned by its management and employees together with Valhalla Ventures, Founder Mark O’Hare’s family holding company.
Mark O’Hare, Founder & Former CEO of Preqin – Mark O’Hare is the co-founder of Preqin and steered the company as CEO until December 2021, when he handed over the mantle to Christoph Knaack, Preqin’s Chief Strategy & Product Officer at that time. Mark is well known within the alternatives industry; he regularly visits clients, frequently speaks at industry conferences and events, and is a sought-after media commentator. Prior to founding Preqin, Mark was a Manager with Boston Consulting Group, and founder of Citywatch, the equity shareholdings information service that is now part of Refinitiv.
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