Private equity firm KKR has long been considered the leading contender among bidders for Simon & Schuster and the WSJ reports late Thursday that the investment firm is in “advanced talks” to buy the publisher, “for about $1.65 billion, according to people familiar with the situation.” KKR is believed to have bid the first time S&S was up for sale in 2020 as well, though the underbidder then was Vivendi — which had not secured control of Lagardere at the time. Harper Collins ceo Brian Murray testified last August that their bid in 2020 “was not close” to Bertelsmann’s $2.175 […]
