Robey Warshaw, the elite London advisory boutique that counts former chancellor George Osborne among its five partners, has been acquired by Evercore, the US investment banking giant, in a £146 million cash and shares deal.
The acquisition marks a significant payday for Osborne and his fellow partners at the firm’s Mayfair headquarters, though the precise distribution of proceeds among them has not been disclosed. The deal is expected to bring windfalls for the partners and the firm’s 12 additional staff.
Robey Warshaw has built a formidable reputation over the past decade as a trusted boardroom adviser to some of the UK’s most influential companies, including BP, the London Stock Exchange, and National Grid. The firm played a central role in SABMiller’s $100 billion sale to Anheuser-Busch InBev in 2016 — the largest takeover in British corporate history.
Sir Simon Robey, co-founder of the firm, described the sale as a natural evolution for Robey Warshaw’s business.
“Our clients will continue to get the personal attention and care we have always strived to provide,” he said. “They will also be able to benefit from greater global reach, broad product capabilities and sector expertise. Evercore is the right home for all of us.”
Evercore chairman and chief executive John Weinberg praised Robey Warshaw’s “extraordinary, long-standing relationships,” and said the firm would strengthen Evercore’s global advisory platform.
Founded in 2013 by Robey, Simon Warshaw (a former UBS banker), and Philip Apostolides (ex-Morgan Stanley), Robey Warshaw has remained deliberately lean — known for its discretion, high fees, and direct partner involvement in mandates. It appointed Chetan Singh, formerly of JPMorgan, as its fifth partner last year.
According to accounts filed last November, the firm recorded £70 million in profits in the year to March 2024 — more than double the £31.8 million it posted a year earlier. The firm’s best-paid partner, believed to be Robey, received £40.5 million, while the remaining partners split £29.5 million.
The £146 million deal will be paid in two tranches: an initial payment in Evercore shares, followed by a second instalment on the first anniversary of the deal’s completion.
The sale of Robey Warshaw is a landmark moment not only for its founding partners but also for Osborne, who joined the firm in 2021 after stepping back from politics. With this deal, he now adds a lucrative financial exit to a career that has already spanned Westminster, media, and banking.
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Payday for George Osborne as Robey Warshaw sold to Evercore for £146 million