Access Industries

Access Industries is a privately held, multinational investment company founded in 1986 by businessman Len Blavatnik. Based in New York City, the group also maintains offices in London and Mill Valley, California. Rather than operating as a conventional consumer brand, Access functions as an investment platform that makes direct investments, develops long-term holdings, and supports asset-management activities across a broad range of industries. The group’s investment interests have included natural resources, chemicals, energy, biotechnology, entertainment, global media, telecommunications, technology ventures, external funds, strategic equity, and real estate. Its approach has combined the acquisition of operating companies with investments in growth businesses and financial sponsors. The portfolio has consequently included both industrial enterprises and highly visible media, technology, hospitality, and property assets. Access’s industrial history includes a role in the formation of the aluminum producer SUAL, investment in the Russian oil company TNK, and the acquisition of Basell Polyolefins. Basell later acquired Lyondell, creating LyondellBasell Industries. Access supported LyondellBasell during its emergence from United States bankruptcy protection and later became a substantial shareholder. The company has also invested in Israeli industrial businesses through Clal Industries and in North American energy through EP Energy and Calpine Corporation. Media and entertainment have become especially prominent parts of the group’s public profile. Access acquired Warner Music Group in 2011 and has held or supported businesses connected with sports streaming, music streaming, film finance, television, and theatrical production. Its entertainment activities have included Access Entertainment, AI Film, investments associated with A24, and a former interest in Bad Wolf. Access has also been associated with DAZN, Deezer, and other media and digital-content businesses. The company expanded its technology investment activities through Access Technology Ventures, which has backed or held interests in a range of technology companies, including businesses connected with digital commerce, software, online marketplaces, social media, music streaming, and financial technology. Its real-estate portfolio has included hotels, resorts, residential developments, and commercial properties in North America, Europe, South America, and the Caribbean. Because Access Industries is privately held, it does not publish the level of consolidated financial and portfolio information expected from a listed investment company. The precise size, valuation, ownership percentage, and current status of many investments can therefore change or remain undisclosed. Publicly documented holdings and transactions provide evidence of a diversified, internationally oriented investment platform, but they should not be treated as a complete current portfolio.

Len Blavatnik founded Access Industries in 1986 while pursuing his business and academic career. The company began as a private investment organization and gradually developed into a diversified holding group. Blavatnik completed an MBA at Harvard Business School in 1989 while continuing to run the business. The group’s early industrial expansion included participation in the formation of SUAL in 1996. SUAL became one of the major aluminum businesses in the former Soviet industrial environment and later joined with RUSAL and the alumina assets of Glencore International to form UC Rusal. Access also acquired a 40 percent interest in TNK in 1997. In 2003, half of TNK was sold to BP to create TNK-BP. Rosneft acquired TNK-BP in 2013, and Access exited that oil investment in the resulting transaction. Access broadened its portfolio beyond resources during the 2000s. It purchased a significant interest in fashion company Tory Burch in 2004 and acquired Basell Polyolefins in 2005. Basell’s 2007 acquisition of Lyondell created LyondellBasell Industries. The combined chemical company was affected by the global financial crisis, and its United States operations entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 2009. With financing support that included Access, LyondellBasell emerged in 2010 and later became a major publicly traded chemical producer. Access subsequently repurchased a substantial interest in the company. The group also expanded into television, telecommunications, sports, and music. It acquired an estimated majority interest in the British pay-television service Top Up TV in 2006 and purchased a majority interest in Perform Group in 2007. Perform developed sports-media properties and launched the DAZN streaming service in 2016. Access became the majority owner of DAZN Group and also participated in investments involving messaging software company Acision and other regional media businesses. Warner Music Group became one of Access’s best-known media investments. Access had invested in WMG before taking the company private in 2011 through a transaction reported at approximately $3.3 billion. Warner Music later returned to the public markets through a Nasdaq listing in 2020. Access’s entertainment activities expanded further with the creation of Access Entertainment in the middle of the 2010s, investments connected with film and television production, and a stake in the British production company Bad Wolf. Access later sold its Bad Wolf interest to Sony Pictures Television in 2021. Technology investing became a more formal activity through Access Technology Ventures, launched in 2015 to pursue venture and growth investments, particularly in companies approaching or reaching significant scale. Reported investments have included businesses such as Snapchat, Square, Yelp, Alibaba, Spotify, Zalando, DigitalOcean, Deezer, Gett, and Rocket Internet. Access also participated in a 2017 financing round for Essential Products and invested in the online real-estate company Opendoor. In the energy sector, Access acquired interests in EP Energy and joined a consortium that agreed to buy Calpine Corporation in 2017; the acquisition closed in 2018. In Israel, it acquired Clal Industries in 2013, gaining exposure to industrial, cement, paper, retail, biotechnology, and logistics businesses. Real-estate investments have included hotel and resort properties, the Faena Group, Grand-Hôtel du Cap-Ferrat, Sunset Tower Hotel, One High Line, and other assets. In the second half of 2022, Access sold its UC Rusal stake, ending its last major reported Russian holding. The company remains a privately held investment platform, and its complete current portfolio and financial results are not publicly disclosed.

1. 2022UC Rusal divestment

   Access sold its stake in UC Rusal, ending its last major reported asset in Russia.

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2. 2018Calpine acquisition closes

   Access and consortium partners completed the acquisition of Calpine Corporation.

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3. 2016Access Entertainment launches

   Access created a dedicated entertainment investment division led by Danny Cohen.

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4. 2015Access Technology Ventures launches

   The group established a venture and growth investment arm focused on technology companies.

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5. 2013Expansion into Israeli industry and energy

   Access acquired Clal Industries and developed an interest in EP Energy.

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6. 2011Warner Music Group acquisition

   Access acquired Warner Music Group in a transaction reported at approximately $3.3 billion.

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7. 2007Basell and Lyondell combine

   Basell acquired Lyondell, creating LyondellBasell Industries.

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8. 2005Basell Polyolefins acquisition

   Access acquired Basell Polyolefins, expanding its industrial and chemicals portfolio.

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9. 1997Investment in TNK

   Access acquired a 40 percent interest in Russian oil company TNK.

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10. 1996SUAL is formed

    Access helped assemble the aluminum producer SUAL through industrial mergers and acquisitions.

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11. 1986Access Industries is founded

    Len Blavatnik established Access Industries as a private investment company.

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A privately held, diversified investment and holding platform focused on cross-sector, international, and long-term ownership.

• Access Industries investment platformInvestment holding company1986

  Access Industries does not primarily sell standardized consumer products. Its principal offering is an investment and ownership platform that combines direct investments, strategic equity, venture funding, and long-term management of companies and assets. Its sector coverage has included industrial materials, energy, media, technology, entertainment, biotechnology, and real estate.

• Access EntertainmentEntertainment investment2016

  Access Entertainment is a division focused on investments in film, television, theatrical production, and broader entertainment media. Its activities have included stakes, financing arrangements, and production relationships involving companies such as Bad Wolf, RatPac-related ventures, A24, and AI Film.

• Access Technology VenturesVenture and growth capital2015

  Access Technology Ventures is the group’s technology-focused investment arm. It has pursued venture and growth investments in technology businesses, including digital platforms, online marketplaces, software, social media, music streaming, financial technology, and real-estate technology.

• 2015Political giving to Super PACs

  United States

  Access Industries donated to Super PACs supporting Republican presidential candidates Scott Walker and Lindsey Graham during the 2015 United States election cycle.

  Outcome. The contributions became part of public reporting about the political activity associated with Access and Len Blavatnik.

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• 2022Exit UC RusalStrategy

  Access was reducing its exposure to Russian assets.

  What changed. The group sold its stake in UC Rusal during the second half of 2022.

  Aftermath. The divestment ended Access’s last major reported asset in Russia.

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• 2017Agree to acquire Calpine with consortium partnersM&A

  Access continued expanding its energy and power-generation exposure.

  What changed. Access and a consortium agreed to acquire Calpine Corporation.

  Aftermath. The transaction closed in 2018.

  Reported acquisition value. $5.6 billion (2017 agreement and 2018 closing)

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• 2015Create dedicated technology and entertainment investment divisionsStrategy

  Access was broadening its portfolio toward technology, media, and entertainment businesses.

  What changed. The group launched Access Technology Ventures and established Access Entertainment with Danny Cohen as its entertainment leader.

  Aftermath. The divisions supported investments in technology companies, film and television production, streaming media, and other digital businesses.

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• 2011Acquire Warner Music GroupM&A

  Access pursued greater exposure to global music and entertainment assets.

  What changed. Access acquired Warner Music Group in a transaction reported at approximately $3.3 billion, including assumed debt.

  Aftermath. Warner Music remained a major Access-associated media holding and later returned to public markets.

  Reported transaction value. $3.3 billion (2011)

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• 2005Acquire Basell PolyolefinsM&A

  Access sought to expand from resources into industrial chemicals and materials.

  What changed. The company acquired Basell Polyolefins.

  Aftermath. Basell later acquired Lyondell, producing LyondellBasell Industries.

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• 2022Access divested its remaining major Russian asset

  During the second half of 2022, Access sold its stake in UC Rusal, ending its ownership of what was described as its last major asset in Russia.

  Other
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• 2018Access and partners acquired Calpine

  Access and a consortium of investors agreed to acquire power-generation company Calpine Corporation in a transaction reported at $5.6 billion.

  M&A
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• 2016Access launched Access Entertainment

  The group established an entertainment investment division led by former BBC television executive Danny Cohen.

  Product launch
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• 2011Access acquired Warner Music Group

  Access Industries acquired Warner Music Group in a transaction valued at approximately $3.3 billion, including assumed debt.

  M&A
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• 2005Access acquired Basell Polyolefins

  The group acquired Basell Polyolefins, an important step in its expansion into chemicals and industrial materials.

  M&A
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• 1997Access acquired a major stake in TNK

  Access acquired a 40 percent interest in the Russian oil company TNK.

  M&A
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• 1996Access helped form SUAL

  Access participated in the creation of the aluminum producer SUAL through a combination of mergers and acquisitions.

  M&A
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• 1986Access Industries founded as an investment company

  Len Blavatnik established Access Industries as a privately held investment platform.

  Other
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1. Access Industries
2. Access Industries official website