Rory McIlroy teams up with $200B investment giant in bold business move

Rory McIlroy is stepping up his business interests away from the golf course; the newly-crowned Masters champion has joined forces with a $200B private equity fund

Rory McIlroy has expanded his business empire(Image: Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

Rory McIlroy’s business empire has grown after striking a deal with private equity firm TPG to form a new business that will make big-money investments in the world of sport.

McIlroy’s Symphony Ventures, which he founded in 2019 alongside his agent and business partner Sean O’Flaherty, has joined forces with TPG to launch TPG Sports, targeting the increasingly lucrative world of sports business.

The five-time major champion, fresh off his Masters triumph at Augusta National, already boasts a sizable portfolio of investments, and that is set to grow after McIlroy and O’Flaherty were named operating partners of the new company.

Symphony Ventures’ investments include secondary market ticket retailer TickPick, tournament software platform Golf Genius and mini golf brand Puttery. The Northern Irishman also owns a piece of TGL, the tech-powered golf league he founded alongside Tiger Woods, which concluded a successful debut season in March.

McIlroy has also invested in F1 team Alpine, and he is a part-owner and ambassador of Whoop, the health and fitness wearable brand. The 35-year-old has previously dealt with TPG, which has cut him in on previous deals, including the acquisition of golf course management firm Troon in 2021.

“We were talking about what’s the next step for us,” McIlroy told The New York Times. “The timing was right. Sport is undergoing a big transformation. There is a lot of investment going into the sports world and trying to make it more professional, and trying to bring it into the 21st century.”

McIlroy is an investor in F1 team Alpine(Image: Dan Istitene – Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images)

TPG oversees assets worth in the region of $200 billion, making much of its money in the media industry, thanks in part to deals involving DirecTV and the Creative Artists Agency, whose clients include Beyonce, Jennifer Aniston and Paul George.

McIlroy’s next step in the world of investing comes on rocky footing following the stock market chaos triggered by President Donald Trump’s imposition of tariffs on foreign nations. Economists predict a recession is looming as a result.

McIlroy has already invested in numerous sports projects, including Whoop – and he wears the brand’s fitness tracker for every round he plays(Image: Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

But TPG president Todd Sisitsky believes promising market conditions await TPG Sports. He said: “Probably the best opportunities that we’ve seen and invested in over the past 30 years have also come at moments of uncertainty.”

TPG Sports’ launch has been backed by Abu Dhabi investment fund Lunate, which has pledged to provide a publicly undisclosed cash injection.

Matters on the golf course remain world No. 2 McIlroy’s top priority after he completed the career grand slam and ended a decade-long major championship drought last month by getting his hands on the Green Jacket.

McIlroy made his return to action at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans last week, finishing in a tie for 12th in the team event alongside Shane Lowry.

The FedEx Cup leader will take this week off, skipping The CJ Cup Byron Nelson and focusing on next week’s Truist Championship at Philadelphia Cricket Club before the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow follows a week later.