Jan 5, 2026 - Business

Apollo strikes deal to sell Coinstar

Dan Primack

Illustration of Abraham Lincoln exiting off a penny that reads "buh bye" — Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

Private equity firm Apollo Global Management has quietly agreed to sell coin-exchange kiosk operator Coinstar to Arctic Slope Regional Corp., which manages investments for indigenous residents of northern Alaska.

Why it matters: Coinstar is a pillar of America's currency logistics, although its importance may diminish now that new pennies aren't being produced.

Zoom in: Coinstar's predecessor company was taken private by Apollo in 2016, but by 2023 needed to restructure its debt because of liquidity troubles.

Bloomberg reports that this deal would repay more than $750 million of principal plus all interest.
The deal hasn't yet been publicly announced — expect that to come in a few weeks — but reportedly was disclosed in a private notice to Coinstar bondholders.
It's unclear how Apollo will make out, and the firm declined comment.

Go deeper, via Bloomberg: "Coinstar struggled with a slowdown after the pandemic and went on to expand its digital-currency offerings. [In 2024] it began allowing customers to use cash to buy cryptocurrency at its kiosks or through an app."

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Apollo strikes deal to sell Coinstar

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