By Ben Motamed, Archie Clarke, Emmanuel Olowe and Charlie Bark (Durham University), Ishan Panchal, Aaryan Kochhar, Lachlan Thomas, Oliver Moses and Zac Zaga (Monash University) Photo: Jeffery Blum (Unsplash) Overview of the deal Acquirer:  Blackstone (BXPE) Target:  Champions Group Previous Investor: Odyssey Investment Partners Total Transaction Size : $2.50B EV/EBITDA: ~18x Debt Financing: >$1.0 billion (Private Credit, SOFR + 4.5%) Announcement Date: 17/02/2026 Close Date: