In an announcement, AXA Private Equity had said it completed its spin-off from the AXA Group. The spin off would now be known as Ardian, a premium indepenedent private investment company. This is the next stage for the company since its establishment in 1996.

AXA Group, in the meantime, would remain as a major financial investor in Ardian, with an earlier commitment of EUR4.8 billion in new funds to be managed by the new firm in the next five years. Its remaining shareholders on the other hand comprise of European institutions as well as French family offices. This group would collectively hold 31% of the company's shareholdings.

According to Ardian CEO Dominique Senequier, "Today is an exciting new chapter for our company. We spent a long time building a company inside AXA and from the start we carved out a separate identity for investment excellence. From today, we are fully independent. We will direct our entrepreneurial spirit which remains at our heart, towards exploring new ways of fostering growth, while continuing to invest in a way that blends our discipline and conviction with our long-term philosophy."