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Josh Harris’ 26North Agrees to Buy Gym Chain Onelife Fitness

Josh Harris, co-founder of Apollo Global Management Inc. and co-owner of the NFL's Washington Commanders, during an interview at an Economic Club of Washington event in Washington, DC, US, on Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2023. Former owner Dan Snyder sold the Commanders for $6 billion, a record for a US professional sports franchise, who bought the franchise for $800 million in 1999. (Annabelle Gordon/Bloomberg)

(Bloomberg) -- Josh Harris’ 26North Partners agreed to buy Onelife Fitness, an operator of gyms across the US Mid-Atlantic and Southeast, according to people with knowledge of the matter. 

A transaction values the company at about $500 million, said some of the people, who asked not to be identified discussing confidential information. Onelife has been backed by Harris’ family office, HRS Management, and Delos Capital, an investment firm led by executives including Apollo Global Management Inc. alum Matt Constantino. Harris co-founded Apollo.

A representative for 26North declined to comment, and Delos didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. HRS is a minority owner of Onelife and is rolling its entire equity stake as part of the transaction, an HRS spokesman said.

Onelife has locations in Virginia, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, West Virginia and Washington, D.C., according to its website. Delos and HRS acquired a majority stake in Onelife, known at the time as US Fitness, in 2018.  

Harris’ 26North recently struck its first private equity deal, agreeing to buy ArchKey Solutions, a provider of electrical, technological and specialty systems.

Private equity firms have invested in myriad health and fitness platforms amid conviction that consumers will continue spending in the sector. L Catterton last month agreed to buy a majority stake in boutique fitness company Solidcore, while Trive Capital and 808 Capital Partners said in June they’d invested in JF Fitness of North America, a Crunch Fitness franchisee. 

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