CD&R Pursues $40 Billion Buyout of Global Payments in One of History's Largest Ever Private Equity Deals

Clayton, Dubilier and Rice is pursuing a buyout of Global Payments, the Atlanta-based payments processor valued at approximately $40 billion, according to a Financial Times report published October 30. If completed, the transaction would rank among the largest leveraged buyouts in history.

Shares of Global Payments surged on the news, rising more than 10% on October 30 to close at $94.40, a gain of $8.70 on the day. The stock's jump reflected investor optimism about a potential premium deal, as the company had been trading well below that level in recent weeks with analyst price targets ranging broadly in the $83-$95 range.

CD&R is well-positioned to pursue a deal of this scale. The firm is closing in on a $26 billion fundraising target for its 13th flagship fund, having gathered approximately $20 billion within six months of launching that vehicle, roughly double the pace of its previous fund raise. Global Payments completed its acquisition of Worldpay and the divestiture of its Issuer Solutions business in January 2026, reshaping the company into a focused payment technology platform that reported adjusted net revenue of $3.16 billion in the second quarter of 2026.