[1] Terra Firma invests across a range of sectors and has focused on leveraged buyouts of large, asset-rich businesses, often with complex structural or regulatory issues.

[specify] Terra Firma (solid Earth) traces its origins to 1994 when Guy Hands formed Nomura Principal Finance Group, which focused on European private equity investments.

[6] In 2002, with support from Nomura, Hands completed a spin-out of the bank's private equity operations to form Terra Firma, after first contemplating a move to another major financial institution.

[7][8] The previous year, there had been reports that Nomura had too much of its capital invested in the Principal Finance Group and that Hands' profile was overshadowing the bank.

[14] Terra Firma was the first large private equity firm based in the UK to comply with the Walker Guidelines on transparency and disclosure.

[21] At the same time, The Rolling Stones signed a one-album deal with Interscope Records/Universal Music Group outside of its contract with EMI, which expired in February 2008.

[citation needed] Under Terra Firma's ownership, EMI also signed several significant new acts, including Tinie Tempah, Eliza Doolittle, David Guetta, Lady Antebellum and Professor Green.

[28][29] However, Terra Firma and Hands personally continued to put new money into the company in order to avoid a default under its loan obligations to lender, Citigroup.

[32] In December 2009, Terra Firma filed a lawsuit against EMI's primary lender Citigroup, claiming the bank engaged in fraud during its auction of the company in 2007.

[35] Citigroup took ownership of EMI Group from Terra Firma on 1 February 2011, wiping out the firm's investments and writing off £2.2 billion of debt.

[40] The original claim that Citi had lied about the presence of a rival bidder in the auction for EMI, which led Terra Firma to bid for the music group, will be heard by the English court.

[48] In July 2013, Terra Firma partially exited Deutsche Annington, Germany's largest private landlord, through an IPO on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange.

[51] That same month is also completed the sale of German motorway services operator Tank & Rast to a consortium led by Allianz SE.

TFCP has also made significant investments in German residential housing (Deutsche Annington) and motorway services (Tank & Rast).

[64] The following month, Terra Firma was reported to be bidding £700m to buy Keepmoat Homes with a view to combining it with the former Kier Living business.

[42][43] The following are among the firm's most notable current and former portfolio companies: Terra Firma Capital Partners Limited donates 10% of its annual pre-tax profits each year to charity.