The leadership team of the Brightstar Group has regained a controlling stake in the business, buying out the remaining private equity-owned shares in an all-cash deal for an undisclosed sum.

The transaction, which comes on the back of a record year for the group, means the leadership team now owns a 54% stake in the business.

The group also announced that the business, which includes Brightstar Financial and Sirius Property Finance, turned in record financial results in 2021.

It posted a 28.1% increase in annual turnover of £10.4m on the previous year, and reported a 42.8% increase in capital reserves. Staff across the group lifted by 16% to 73 in January 2022.

The group says lending rose by 31.7% in 2021, adding that the business is on a current run rate to deliver £2.1bn of lending this year. It says the group annual turnover is forecast to jump by 30.2% to £13.5m in 2022 compared to £10.4m in 2021.

The business also launched a new group website, featuring key information about its brands, people and strategy, at thebrightstargroup.co.uk.

Brightstar Group chief executive Rob Jupp says: “Returning a controlling stake of the Brightstar Group to the leadership team is a massive achievement.

“We, rightly, looked for external investment to help us grow six years ago and because that growth has been so successful and sustained, we are now in a position where we have been able to buy those shares back.

“It’s an opportunity that very few businesses have, and it means that we have regained and retained our independence – we don’t have to answer to a corporate shareholder.

“This is great news for all of our customers as it means, not only do we have full autonomy to continue to invest in our people and technology to develop our proposition, but they can also be assured that we operate without bias or interference.”