Entertainment isn’t just promotion; it is value creation: Authentic Brands Group’s founder Jamie Salter

IF SCALING asset-light but brand-rich businesses is more an art than science, then Jamie Salter is a master craftsman. His privately held firm, Authentic Brands Group, has built a multi-billion-dollar 50-plus brand portfolio by acquiring names such as Forever 21, Reebok, Brooks Brothers, and Champion, and the latest, Guess. Clocking over $38 billion in sales, with sport IPs making up 25% of the portfolio, Salter is now aiming for the $100-billion mark by purchasing brands clocking over $1 billion in sales, even as he is betting big on the entertainment business to drive scale. Authentic focusses on acquiring entertainment, sports, and lifestyle brand rights, and licenses them globally. Instead of owning the entire value chain, its partners handle manufacturing, sales, distribution and so forth. The 63-year-old founder shares his insights on scaling IP-rich businesses and why growth will come from global markets, including India. Edited excerpts: