Pegasus Spyware Creator NSO Group Acquired by US Firm for “Tens of Millions”

The NSO Group, the Israeli developer behind Pegasus spyware, has confirmed it has been acquired by a U.S.-based investment firm, in a deal described as worth “tens of millions of dollars.” According to Calcalistech, the acquisition is being led by a consortium headed by Hollywood producer Robert Simonds, with the full terms and investors not disclosed.

The company’s headquarters and core operations will remain in Israel and continue under Israeli government oversight, though such supervision is expected to be largely symbolic given Pegasus’s history. NSO has been blacklisted by the U.S. Department of the Treasury, with Pegasus linked to surveillance operations and several executives personally sanctioned as part of that action.

The article notes that, despite claims that NSO refrains from targeting users with U.S.-based numbers, the infection of American diplomatic devices suggests internal compliance mechanisms may have been ineffective or ignored. The acquisition underscores ongoing debates about rehabilitating NSO’s image and re-entering Western markets under new ownership.