Shaftesbury was founded in 1986[2] as a private company by the Levy family, with an initial injection of £10 million.[4] The company secured a listing on the main market of the London Stock Exchange in October 1987 when it was valued at £26 million.[5] On 2 March 2023, the company announced the implementation of a proposed merger with Capital & Counties Properties.[8] It comprises nearly 600 buildings, located close to the West End's major visitor attractions, and mainly clustered in Carnaby Street, Seven Dials and Chinatown, together with substantial ownerships in east and west Covent Garden, Soho and Charlotte Street.In addition, the company has a 50% interest in a further 1.9 acres in Covent Garden, held in its Longmartin joint venture.