Major shareholders seek financing for possible take-private of Italy's top tower operator

Ardian, which holds 32% of INWIT, and Oak Holdings 1, controlling 39%, are reportedly arranging financing for a potential take-private transaction that would purchase the minority shareholdings. The consortium, backed by GIP, Vodafone and KKR, is in talks with banks and anticipates that Mubadala will take an equity position in the deal. The initiative follows a contractual clash with INWIT’s two biggest customers, Telecom Italia (TIM) and Swisscom’s Fastweb, both of which have started procedures to end their agreements while seeking better terms.

Since the dispute began, INWIT’s market capitalization has fallen roughly 27% to about $7.1 billion (€6.3 billion). Earlier speculation about a sale surfaced after a French media report linked Ardian and Brookfield to a possible privatization. No comment was received from the involved investors, and INWIT said it had no information on the matter.