All firms
Ares Management
“Guitar Center, Neiman Marcus, 99 Cents Only Stores. If a brand is circling the drain, Ares is probably holding the bucket.”
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Brands Tracked
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Category
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Currently Owned
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Formerly Owned
Based in LA with over $640 billion under its control, Ares has a knack for acquiring consumer brands at their most vulnerable. They bought 99 Cents Only Stores for $1.6 billion; every single one of the 371 locations was liquidated by 2024, with 14,000 employees laid off. Ares took control of Guitar Center in 2014 by swapping debt for ownership — the chain went bankrupt in 2020 anyway, on their watch. Neiman Marcus, another Ares investment, filed for bankruptcy the same year.
Founded 1997 · Los Angeles, CA