Suning Holdings Group Co., Ltd. is a Chinese privately owned holding company. The company shared the same founder Zhang Jindong with the listed company Suning.com, but Suning Holdings was the unlisted portion of Zhang's unincorporated Suning Group. According to All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce, Suning Holdings Group was ranked as the second largest civilian-run enterprise in the Mainland China in 2018. The holding company is also famous for the acquisition of Inter Milan. Suning Holdings, as of 2016, owned an equity stake of 3.33% in Suning.com, formerly known as Suning Commerce Group and Suning Appliance. Those companies also shared almost the same name with sister company Suning Appliance Group, which Zhang owned 48.10% stake as the second largest shareholder. As at 31 December 2016 Suning Appliance Group was the second largest shareholder of Suning.com, after Zhang. Suning Appliance Group was owned by ex-senior staff of Suning.com as at 2002. Since circa 2015 to 10 April 2017, it was owned by Bu Yang, Zhang and Sun Weimin, the three senior official of Suning.com.
Operations
In June 2016 Suning Holdings signed a framework agreement with the government of Shandong Province.
Subsidiaries
Suning Rundong
Suning Holdings, via a subsidiary, Suning Rundong, subscribed the capital increase of Nubia Technology, a subsidiary of Chinese tech company ZTE for in December 2015. After the deal Suning Rundong owned 33.33% stake in Nubia. Nubia Technology sold mobile phone branded "Nubia". In 2016 Nubia became a sponsor of Jiangsu Suning F.C., a sister company of Suning Rundong for a reported. In April 2016 Suning Rundong sold 4.90% stake in Nubia to Suning Commerce Group for, proportional to the original subscribe price. As of 2015, Suning Holdings owned 70% stake in Suning Rundong, Suning.com owned 10% and Chen Yan owned 20% stake. The stake that held by Suning Holdings, was increased to 80% in 2016, acquiring an additional 10% from Suning.com. According to China Daily, Suning Rundong was an investment fund with a size of RMB5 billion.
Suning Culture Investment Management Co., Ltd. was another investment vehicle of the group. As of 2015, it was 90% owned by Suning Holdings Group and 10% owned by Chen Yan. Suning Culture Investment Management invested for 10% stake in China International Broadcasting Network, an internet television channel. On 31 October 2015 Suning Culture Investment acquired 68.08% stake in a video hosting and streaming website: PPTV from Caymans-incorporated Great Universe Limited, an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of sister company Suning.com for. PPTV secured the exclusive China TV rights of La Liga for 5 seasons in mid-2015.
Suning Jinkong
Suning Jinkong is an investment vehicle of the group in financial sector. As of 31 December 2016, it was 80% owned by Suning Holdings and 20% owned by Chen Yan. Moreover, all the paid-in share capital was contributed by Suning Holdings. Suning Jinkong purchased 35% stake of Suning Jinfu, for in April 2016. That company was a subsidiary of Suning.com. The 35% stake was later transferred to a private equity fund Nanjing Runyu, which Suning.com claimed that, the fund was still controlled by Suning Holdings. According to National Credit Information Publicity System, however, CITIC Trust was a unit holder of the private equity fund; Suning Rundong was the general partner of the fund, which the fund incorporated as a limited partnership.
Suning Sports
Jiangsu Suning Sports, is a joint venture of Suning Holdings and Suning Appliance Group. Suning Sports had a share capital of. As of 31 December 2016, Suning Holdings owned 90% stake. Suning Sports became an angel investor of Champdas, a company specialize in sports statistics in 2016. Suning Sports also appointed football coach and former player Gong Lei as their sports director. Jiangsu Suning Sports had a sister company Suning Sports International Limited, a company incorporated in Hong Kong, which was the subsidiary of Suning Culture Investment Management instead, at the date of incorporation on 26 May 2016. However, it was known that Jiangsu Suning Sports had acquired Suning Sports International on 30 May 2016.
Inter Milan
On 6 June 2016 Suning Holdings, via Great Horizon S.à r.l., signed a contract to acquire a majority stake in Inter Milan by the subscription of a capital increase and from the consortium of Erick Thohir and the consortium of Massimo Moratti. The deal was approved by the extraordinary general meeting on 28 June, which after the deal, Suning Holdings owned 68.55% shares. According to website Calcio e Finanza and Il Sole 24 Ore columnist Carlo Festa, Great Horizon direct parent company was Suning Sports International Limited, in turn a subsidiary of Suning Culture International Limited, in turn a subsidiary of Suning Culture Investment Management. According Suning Sports International's 2017 Annual Return submission to the Hong Kong Companies Registry, Jiangsu Suning Sports had acquired the entire share capital of Suning Sports International from sister company Suning Culture International on 30 May 2016, few weeks before the takeover of Inter Milan. However, Chen Yan remained as the sole director of Suning Sports International.
