777 Partners
777 Partners is an American private investment company based in Miami. Founded in 2015, it focuses on seven core industries: Insurance, Aviation, Sports, Media & Entertainment, Fintech, Litigation Finance, Private Credit, and Sustainability. To date, 777 has approximately 50+ portfolio companies operating in over 20 countries globally including notable soccer teams such as Genoa C.F.C. in Italy, Standard Liège in Belgium, Red Star F.C. in France, CR Vasco da Gama in Brazil, Hertha BSC in Germany, Sevilla FC in Spain and Melbourne Victory FC in Australia.

History
Founded in 2015 by Steven Pasko and Josh Wander as the result of a management buyout of SuttonPark Capital from PennantPark, 777 Partners initially applied its expertise in underwriting and financing esoteric assets to diversify across a broad spectrum of financial services businesses, asset originators, and financial technology/service providers. In recent years, the firm has broadened its mandate and now invests across seven afformentioned industries. 

Its first investment in soccer was to purchase a minority stake in Spanish La Liga club Sevilla FC in 2018. In 2020, it elevated its share to 7.5%.

In September 2021, 777 Partners bought 99.99% of Italian Serie A club Genoa C.F.C., the country's oldest club, founded in 1893. It became the sixth club in the league to have an American owner, and the transaction to buy the club from long-term owner Enrico Preziosi was estimated at €150 million. The club hired former A.C. Milan and Ukraine striker Andriy Shevchenko in November, firing him in January 2022; Genoa ended the season relegated (as did another US-owned team, Venezia FC), but were immediately promoted back into the top division in May 2023.

In February 2022, 777 Partners bought 70% of CR Vasco da Gama, a Campeonato Brasileiro Série A club from Rio de Janeiro for R$700 million, valuing the club at R$1.7 billion. The transaction was the biggest in the history of Brazilian football, and came off the back of a change in legislation allowing clubs to adopt new legal structures by becoming limited companies and sourcing finance from private equity markets. There have been various protests against the ownership of the club due to the perceived lack of investment and poor league positioning. Under its ownership, Vasco da Gama has had its worse start ever to a league season.  

In March 2022, 777 Partners bought 100% of Standard Liège in the Belgian Pro League for €55 million. The following month, it bought Red Star F.C. of the French third-tier Championnat National; the club was founded in 1897 by Jules Rimet, who was later president of FIFA. The takeover was met with backlash due to the club's working-class and left-wing history, and concerns that the club would become a farm team for 777's other assets. Former presidential candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon was one of several politicians to sign a letter published in Le Monde, stating "For us, Red Star is a common good that cannot be sacrificed on the altar of profit."

In October 2022, 777 Partners bought a minority stake in Melbourne Victory FC of the Australian A-League Men. The following March, the company took a 64.7% stake in Hertha BSC of the German Bundesliga after its sale by Lars Windhorst, who had been majority shareholder since 2019.

In 2019, 777 Partners bought the London Lions, London's sole men’s professional basketball team. They then invested £7 million for 45% of the British Basketball League (BBL). Under 777, the Lions and the BBL have garnered significant attention, having sold a slight minority stake in the London Lions to O.G. Anunoby and becoming the first British team to ever qualify for EuroCup playoffs.  

Outside of sports, 777 has assets in aviation. It owns Canadian company Flair Airlines and Australian based Bonza, both of which are low-cost carriers. It also invests in and develops travel technology under its "GO7" subdivision, which provides ticketing and distribution services to over 185 network, low-cost carriers, regional airlines and rail operations globally. 

In 2022, 777 invested in STX Entertainment, a global film studio known for producing films such as Molly's Game, The Irishman, and Ferrari.

References

External links
Official website

2015 establishments in Florida
Companies based in Miami
Investment companies of the United States