The Committee on Foreign Investment in the US is reviewing Mubadala Investment Co.’s planned takeover of Fortress Investment Group amid concerns over the United Arab Emirates’ ties to China, the Financial Times reported.
The review by the inter-governmental agency, which vets whether deals can harm national security, is in its early stages and a decision is not expected for several months, the newspaper said, citing unidentified people close to the situation.
A representative for Mubadala said the fund has applied for CIFIUS review, which is standard, and is working with the appropriate regulatory officials as it has before.
A representative for Fortress declined to comment to the FT. The US Treasury, which oversees the CFIUS process, told the newspaper it didn’t comment on transactions that it “may or not be reviewing” but added that it was “committed to taking all necessary actions within its authority to safeguard US national security.”
In May, the Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund and New York-based Fortress Investment Group agreed to buy 90% of the equity held by Japanese conglomerate SoftBank Group Corp. in the US asset manager.
If the deal goes ahead, Mubadala would own 70% of the equity in Fortress, while Fortress management would hold a 30% equity interest and a class of equity entitling it to appoint a majority of seats on the board.
The companies didn’t disclose terms at the time. Bloomberg News has reported that the deal could potentially value the company at more than $2 billion.
Buoyed with cash from last year’s commodity boom, Abu Dhabi — one of few cities globally to manage over $1 trillion in sovereign wealth — is seeking to extend its influence on the global stage, investing billions of dollars to diversify its economy away from crude.
