Media Fund Launched With Anchor Pledge

Three private equity veterans have banded together to form their own media-focused shop, Searchlight Capital Partners, and so far have raised $200 million from one limited partner, according to a July regulatory filing.

The filing lists Eric Zinterhofer, previously a partner at Apollo Management, Oliver Haarmann, formerly of Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co., and Erol Uzumeri, previously the head of private equity at Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan’s private equity investment arm, Teachers’ Private Capital, as executive officers and directors of the new vehicle, Searchlight Capital PV LP.

According to The Wall Street Journal, the firm is seeking to raise $500 million to $1 billion, earmarked for investments in media and telecom, and the LP in question may be the Lauder family, to which Zinterhofer is connected by marriage. His wife, Aerin Lauder Zinterhofer, serves as senior vice president and creative director of Estee Lauder Companies Inc., which her grandmother founded.

The trio brings to the table media and telecom experience from their previous positions. Zinterhofer was the co-head of media and telecom at Apollo Management and is still the chairman of Charter Communications, the fourth-largest cable operator in the United States. Haarmann formerly led the European communications industry group for KKR, where he also was involved in investor relations.

For his part, Uzumeri gained experience in the industry via Teachers’ Private Capital’s investments in companies like CTVglobemedia Inc., Canada’s largest multi-media business; Kabel Deutschland GmbH, Germany’s largest cable network operator; and Grupo Corporativo ONO, Spain’s largest cable operator.