Investment giant Blackstone is to buy US real estate firm Equity Office Properties Trust (EOPT) for $36bn (£17bn), the biggest ever private deal.
EOPT is the largest US stock-market listed property company - controlling 580 buildings in 16 states as well as in Washington DC.
Specialising in corporate offices, it has annual rental income of $3.4bn.
Blackstone, founded in 1985, currently has $67bn of investments including almost $13bn in real estate.
The previous record private equity deal came in July when Bain Capital, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts and Merrill Lynch spent $33bn on Hospital Corporation of America.
Last week Clear Channel, the largest owner of radio stations in the US, was bought by a private equity consortium for $26bn.
Equity Office Properties Trust was founded by Sam Zell, a real estate tycoon who started by purchasing office property at distressed prices.
Last year he bought the Verizon building in New York for $515m.
The deal will include Blackstone assuming $16bn worth of debt held by EOPT.
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