Soho House Acquired for £2bn as Ashton Kutcher Joins Board
Private members’ club group Soho House has been bought in a £2bn ($2.7bn) deal that brings Hollywood actor and investor Ashton Kutcher onto its board.
The takeover is being led by MCR Hotels, the third-largest hotel owner in the US, in partnership with private equity firm Apollo. The move will see the company return to private ownership just four years after floating on the New York Stock Exchange, where it has struggled to deliver profits and retain its reputation for exclusivity.
Founded in 1995 by Nick Jones above his London restaurant Café Boheme, Soho House has grown into a global network of 46 clubs across Europe, North America, and Asia. Its members-only spaces – frequented by celebrities including Kate Moss, Kendall Jenner, and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex – span destinations such as Shoreditch House in London, Soho Farmhouse in Oxfordshire, and Miami Poolhouse. The group also operates Soho Works co-working spaces and Scorpios beach clubs in Mykonos and Bodrum.
Shares in the company have fallen sharply since their 2021 debut, with investors voicing concerns that rapid expansion had diluted the brand’s exclusivity. The new acquisition values the business at $9 a share – 18% above last week’s closing price but still below the $14.21 peak it reached in August 2021.
Kutcher will join MCR chief executive Tyler Morse on the board. “We have long admired Soho House for bringing together cultures from around the world into a global network, and we look forward to supporting its continued growth,” Morse said, highlighting plans to open four new houses in the near future.
Existing shareholders, including Jones and restaurateur Richard Caring, will retain their stakes in the business. Soho House chief executive Andrew Carnie welcomed the deal, saying it “reflects the strong confidence our existing and incoming shareholders have in the future of Soho House.”
Industry analysts, however, warned that the new owners face a challenge in reviving the group’s fortunes. Susannah Streeter of Hargreaves Lansdown noted that while the addition of Kutcher brings “celebrity sparkle,” the company needs more than star power to restore its long-term stability.
