Malone’s Purported Interest Drives Formula One Valuation To $8B

Irish-American billionaire John Malone’s Liberty Global plc (NASDAQ:LBTYA) (NASDAQ:LBTYK) and Discovery Communications Inc. (NASDAQ:DISCA) (NASDAQ:DISCK) are working to bridge a $1 billion gap with Formula One’s biggest shareholders CVC Capital Partners and Lehman Brothers as they seek to buy a 49% stake in the auto-racing series. London-based private equity firm CVC’s desire for an initial public offering of Formula One is unlikely before the resolution of a trial involving Chief Executive Officer Bernie Ecclestone. Lehman’s astute investment CVC currently owns about 35.5% of Formula One and bankrupt Lehman owns 15.3%. As reported earlier, Lehman Brothers, the investment bank whose downfall was based…