MILAN – Golden Goose may soon welcome a new minority investor hailing from the Gulf region.

According to local media reports, the luxury sneakers brand, valued at 2.5 billion euros, is in talks to sell a 10 percent stake to the Qatar Investment Authority, further tweaking the shareholding structure. Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera was the first to report on the potential sale.

Golden Goose could not be reached for comments at press time Saturday.

As reported, last December international venture capital and private equity firm HSG acquired a majority stake in the group, with investment company Temasek and True Light Capital joining as minority investors.

Funds advised by Permira, the former majority shareholder, as well as other existing shareholders including Carlyle, retained a minority investment in the group. Silvio Campara has continued to helm the company as chief executive officer and Marco Bizzarri, previously a non-executive director of the board, became non-executive chairman.

Golden Goose was established in 2000 and Permira acquired the company in 2020 from the Carlyle Europe buyout fund. 

Should a deal with the Qatar Investment Authority materialize, it would qualify as a surprising move in light of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, although the latter is among Golden Goose’s largest markets.

In 2025, sales in the broader Europe, Middle East and Africa region jumped 18 percent. They were up 17 percent in the Asia-Pacific area, while the Americas grew 9 percent.

In the 12 months ended Dec. 31, net revenues rose 15 percent to 734 million euros at constant currency, compared with 654.6 million euros in 2024.

Adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization rose 9.2 percent to 248.3 million euros, a margin of 34 percent on sales. This compares with 227.3 million euros in 2024.