The owners of Getty Images Inc, the largest supplier of stock photos, video and other digital content, have retained bankers to examine a possible sale or public offering of the business, a person close to the matter said Tuesday.

Hellman & Friedman, the U.S. private equity fund which bought the business four years ago for $2.4 billion, is working with Goldman Sachs Group Inc and JPMorgan Chase & Co , the source said.

A sale or IPO of Getty could value the company at $4 billion, the source said.

Hellman & Friedman and JPMorgan declined to comment. Goldman Sachs was not immediately available for comment.

The news was reported earlier by the Financial Times.

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