Abacus Global Management (NYSE:ABX) CEO Jay Jackson talked with Proactive about the company’s $53 million strategic investment in Manning & Napier and how it strengthens its long-term growth strategy.

Proactive: Exciting times for the company. A big deal announced — Manning & Napier taking a $53 million stake. Tell me about them and why you made this move.

Jay Jackson: We were looking for complementary businesses to our already successful model. Our core engine is in our life solutions division, where we acquire policies and hold or resell them. Our asset management division raises capital to acquire those policies. A third key piece was gaining more access to originate policies while providing services to clients. Manning & Napier goes back 50 years and has a strong reputation. With $18 billion in assets and over 3,400 retail accounts, the relationship is incredibly additive. It provides a direct pipeline into our life solutions division and generates revenue for both firms.

We also have excess leads from clients who may not qualify to sell policies but are seeking financial guidance. We can now refer them to Manning & Napier. At the same time, they can offer their clients our alternative investment funds. There are strong synergies.

How important was it to partner with a firm that has that level of history and reputation?

Super important. We want partners that share our values. Manning & Napier has a long track record of putting clients first. Given the scale of the investment, we evaluated other firms, but this one stood out as the best cultural and strategic fit.

This allows both companies to continue what they’re doing while benefiting from synergies?

Exactly. It’s not a pivot from our core business — it’s additive. It strengthens our existing model and supports growth across both businesses. This also creates a playbook for similar partnerships in the future.

You mentioned you're happy with the business performance. Can you expand on that?

Jay Jackson: We’re in a great spot. Despite broader uncertainty and volatility, investors are seeking uncorrelated assets like ours. Policyholders are also looking for liquidity in new ways. This environment benefits us. Q4 looked great, and we’re optimistic about the next one to three years.

Quotes have been lightly edited for style and clarity