EZCORP Inc. has acquired a controlling interest in Founders One, LLC, expanding its reach by 105 pawn stores across 12 countries. Through the transaction completed on January 2, 2026, EZCORP converted its existing $45 million in preferred equity and $10 million in notes receivable into common equity in Founders, and contributed an additional $9.4 million in cash. This move increases EZCORP’s ownership in Founders to a majority 87.7% stake, giving it control over Simple Management Group, Inc. $(SMG)$, which operates the stores primarily under the "La Familia Pawn and Jewelry" and "CashWiz" brands. The acquisition also included a new three-year, $156.4 million senior secured debt facility for SMG, replacing previous debt arrangements. As a result, EZCORP’s total store count now stands at 1,488 across 16 countries. According to company statements, Founders generated $147 million in revenue and $79 million in gross profit for fiscal 2024, showing significant growth over the previous year.

Disclaimer: This news brief was created by Public Technologies (PUBT) using generative artificial intelligence. While PUBT strives to provide accurate and timely information, this AI-generated content is for informational purposes only and should not be interpreted as financial, investment, or legal advice. EZCORP Inc. published the original content used to generate this news brief via GlobeNewswire (Ref. ID: 9619520) on January 05, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained therein.