Bertelsmann seeks partner to buy Penguin Random House-sources

By Harro Ten Wolde and Arno Schuetze

FRANKFURT, Nov 24 (Reuters) - European media conglomerate Bertelsmann is looking for a private equity partner to help it buy the rest of publisher Penguin Random House in case co-owner Pearson (Xetra: 858266 - news) wants a quick exit from the business, three sources told Reuters.

Privately held Bertelsmann controls 53 percent of the publisher of bestsellers such as the Fifty Shades series and Lee Child's Jack Reacher thrillers and is one of the so-called big four English-language book publishing companies.

Pearson has sold the Financial Times and its stake in the Economist in recent months to concentrate on education. It (Other OTC: ITGL - news) has said it intends to hold on to the stake in Penguin Random House until 2017.

Analysts have said a sale of its 47 percent stake in the book publisher, worth an estimated 2 billion euros ($2.1 billion) at least, would be the next logical move.

"It is definitely something Bertelsmann has looked into," said one person familiar with Bertelsmann management's thinking. "Bertelsmann is heavily investing in education so it would be good to spread the burden."

Bertelsmann declined to comment. (Editing by Georgina Prodhan and Maria Sheahan)