Athene Holding Ltd., a Bermuda-based financial services company and parent company of Athene USA in West Des Moines, announced it has closed a transaction in which it is the lead investor in a merger of a global automotive fleet leasing and management company, Wheels Inc., and Donlen LLC, a fleet management technology company based in Northbrook, Ill. Financial details of the merger or lead investment were not disclosed. Merging the complementary operations of Wheels and Donlen will allow the combined company to enhance its services and products for a broader range of clients, Athene said in a release. The new company has about $5 billion in assets, a broader product suite, a highly diversified, highly rated customer base, and is expected to be rated investment grade. “For Athene, this transaction follows our long-standing strategy to invest in businesses with strong fundamentals, underwriting and direct origination capabilities, and the combined platform is expected to be rated investment grade,” said Jim Belardi, chairman and CEO of Athene. “Over time, we see opportunities to invest in the combined company and look forward to partnering with the management team to help position the business for long-term success.”