Forever 21 is owned by Authentic Brands (the United States), which acquired the brand on 1 February 2020.[1][2] Forever 21 was founded in 1984 in Los Angeles, California and was independent until 2020.
This ownership is reported in official statements but has not yet been matched to a regulatory filing.
Forever 21 was founded by Korean immigrants and grew to hundreds of stores before filing for bankruptcy twice, in 2019 and again in 2025. Authentic Brands holds the trademark, so the name can outlive the retail business entirely. Its founders arrived in America with almost nothing and built a business that at its peak ran more than seven hundred stores across nearly fifty countries.
Controlling ownership as of . Brands grouped under the entity that owns them; large groups are collapsed.
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Authentic Brands bought Forever 21 out of bankruptcy for about $81 million, jointly with the mall owners Simon Property Group and Brookfield. Two of its largest landlords buying the retailer was a striking arrangement: they were, in effect, buying their own tenant to keep the space occupied.
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The parent company of Forever 21 is Authentic Brands, a privately held company headquartered in the United States.
Yes. Forever 21 originated in the United States in 1984 and its owner, Authentic Brands, is also headquartered in the United States.
Authentic Brands completed its acquisition of Forever 21 on 1 February 2020, after announcing the deal on 1 February 2020.
Forever 21 was an independent company from its founding in 1984 in Los Angeles, California until Authentic Brands acquired it in 2020.
Yes. As of 8 September 2026, Forever 21 is still owned by Authentic Brands. The ownership record was last checked against primary sources on that date.
Last verified . Every ownership fact above is backed by one of these primary documents. Numbers in brackets in the text refer to this list.
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