Pearson has announced the sale of its 50 per cent stake in The Economist for £469m. (Picture: Shutterstock)

Italian investment fund Exor is set to become the Economist Group's largest single shareholder after agreeing to buy 27.8 per cent of its ordinary shares for £227.5m and all of its B special shares for £59.5m.

Pearson's remaining ordinary shares will be repurchased by The Economist Group for £182m. This will see the group's existing shareholders' stakes increase by 25 per cent.