Rival investors seek to stop Chinese takeover of Chicago Stock Exchange

A group of U.S. investors hoping to buy the Chicago Stock Exchange is lobbying Congress to torpedo a rival, Chinese-backed acquisition proposal that is stalled at the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Lobbyists representing “Exchange Capital LLC,” a special-purpose entity for a private-equity investor group, said they helped generate a Sept. 26 letter led by Rep. Robert Pittenger (R-N.C.) to the SEC raising "serious concerns" over the CHX acquisition.

Exchange Capital is being represented by Adam Olsen of Sconset Strategies and Chas Thomas of Thorn Run Partners. Thomas is a former Pittenger staffer.

Both lobbyists said they also asked members of the Senate Banking Committee to voice concerns with the CHX deal at a hearing with SEC Chairman Jay Clayton on Tuesday.

Olsen and Thomas declined to identify the rival investors for CHX, only saying that they are all American.

“I represent a group of substantial American investors who are interested in potentially acquiring the Chicago Stock Exchange,” Olsen said. “And we have been working with the relevant members of the House and Senate committees to further that goal.”

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