Realty Income Corporation was founded in 1969 by William E. Clark and Evelyn J. Clark. Its first acquisition was a
Taco Bell restaurant in early 1970. In 1994, the company became a
public company via an
initial public offering. In 2009, Clark retired as chairman. In 2013, the company acquired American Realty Capital Trust, founded by
Nicholas Schorsch, in a $2.95 billion transaction. In 2015, the company was added to the
S&P 500 and the S&P High Yield Dividend Aristocrats index. In 2018, Sumit Roy became the company's CEO. In 2019, the company completed a sale-leaseback transaction for 12 properties of the
United Kingdom supermarket chain
Sainsbury's. This was the company's first purchase of property outside the United States. On November 1, 2021, the company acquired
VEREIT. On December 1, 2022, the company completed a $1.7 billion sale-leaseback of
Encore Boston Harbor. On August 2, 2023, the company announced a $950 million investment in
Bellagio Las Vegas. On January 23, 2024, the company completed the $9.3 billion acquisition of Spirit Realty Capital. In November 2025, it was announced the company had acquired
The Lexicon shopping centre in
Bracknell, UK for approximately £150m. ==References==