Ownership profile
Who owns Equinox?
Equinox is a privately held luxury gym chain majority-owned by The Related Companies (a real estate conglomerate led by Stephen Ross), with confirmed minority stakes held by several private equity firms including L Catterton, Silver Lake, and Sixth Street — meaning private equity has real but non-controlling influence over the business.
Ownership profile
Equinox
Equinox Holdings, Inc.
Evidence (14)
The legal operating entity is Equinox Holdings, Inc., a privately held American luxury fitness company headquartered in New York City
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equinox_GroupIn 2006, Harvey Spevak partnered with Related Chairman principals to acquire a controlling interest in Equinox
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equinox_GroupEquinox is owned by a group of investors including Harvey Spevak (Executive Chairman and Managing Partner) as well as principals of Related Companies
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equinox_GroupIn 2000, Harvey Spevak led a management buyout of Equinox to two private equity firms, North Castle Partners and J.W. Childs (historical PE involvement, since exited)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equinox_GroupIn 2017, L Catterton — a consumer-focused private equity firm — made a significant minority investment in Equinox
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equinox_GroupIn March 2024, Equinox secured approximately $1.8 billion in new capital; the transaction was led by Sixth Street (new investor) and Silver Lake (existing investor), with additional participation from Ares Management, HPS Investment Partners, L Catterton, and principals of Related Companies
https://sixthstreet.com/investment_announce/equinox-group-secures-strategic-investments-to-refinance-existing-loans-and-support-growth-as-the-global-leader-in-high-performance-living/The March 2024 round is also confirmed by a PR Newswire press release directly from Equinox, naming all investors
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/equinox-group-secures-strategic-investments-to-refinance-existing-loans-and-support-growth-as-the-global-leader-in-high-performance-living-302084332.htmlEquinox Holdings, Inc. operates as a holding company providing fitness services through its subsidiaries
https://www.bloomberg.com/profile/company/23647Z:USL Catterton lists Equinox on its investments page, corroborating its minority stake
https://www.lcatterton.com/Investments.html#!/y/y/equinoxIn 2020, tech-focused private equity firm Silver Lake provided new funding to Equinox Holdings Inc. for an undisclosed amount
https://www.americanspa.com/news/equinox-holdings-secures-investment-from-tech-centric-private-equity-firmNorth Castle Partners lists Equinox as a former portfolio company, confirming its exit after developing the brand's national presence
https://northcastlepartners.com/portfolio/equinox/In 2005, Equinox Holdings signed a definitive merger agreement with The Related Companies L.P., upon closing of which the company would become a subsidiary of Related
https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1131608/000110465905059084/a05-17397_110q.htmEquinox remains a private company; a 2021 SPAC merger exploration valued it at $7.5B but no IPO or public listing occurred
https://insider.fitt.co/equinox-lands-1-8b-plots-expansion/The Related Companies has been the majority owner of Equinox since 2006
https://erickimphotography.com/blog/2024/01/08/who-owns-equinox-and-who-owns-that-company/What's uncertain
- The Related Companies is a real estate conglomerate, not a traditional PE fund; its majority stake is treated as a corporate/real-estate ownership stake, not a PE buyout, hence pe_involvement is scored as 'influenced' rather than 'controlled' — the PE influence comes from minority PE investors (L Catterton, Silver Lake, Sixth Street, Ares, HPS).
- Exact percentage stakes for all investors are not publicly disclosed; the majority/minority split between Related Companies principals and PE co-investors is not confirmed in available public sources.
- The $1.8B 2024 round includes both equity and debt components; the precise equity vs. debt breakdown and resulting ownership stakes of Sixth Street and Ares (as new investors) have not been publicly disclosed.
- Equinox has not filed recent public financial statements; the company de-registered from SEC reporting after The Related Companies acquisition in 2006. The BamSEC profile confirms historical SEC filings exist but no recent ones are public.
- Stephen Ross publicly described himself as a 'passive investor' during the 2019 SoulCycle boycott controversy, complicating interpretation of Related Companies' day-to-day control.
- As of July 2026, no confirmed IPO or change-of-control transaction has closed.