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Meet French billionaire, Vincent Bollore, bidding $2.5 billion to acquire Africa’s Multichoice

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Meet French billionaire, Vincent Bollore, bidding $2.5 billion to acquire Africa’s Multichoice

On Thursday, Vivendi SE’s Canal+ proposed to acquire the remaining shares of MultiChoice Group, the South African pay-TV company, in a deal valued at 46 billion rand ($2.5 billion).  

The Paris-based Canal+, led by French billionaire Vincent Bollore, who already holds a significant 31.7% stake in MultiChoice, offered 105 rand per share in cash, representing a 40% premium to the company’s recent closing price.  

The acquisition aligns with Vivendi’s strategy to merge Canal+’s local operations with MultiChoice, creating a conglomerate with close to 50 million subscribers. 

MultiChoice, founded in South Africa in 1985, expanded across Africa in the 1990s, offering packages featuring live English football matches and local content.  

As the owner of Showmax, a streaming service competing with Netflix in the region, MultiChoice has tapped into Africa’s rapidly growing entertainment market. Canal+’s bid reflects Bollore’s aim to capitalize on this trend, strengthening the new group’s position in local content and sports. 

To understand Bollore’s motivations behind this acquisition, exploring his history of company acquisitions and wealth accumulation provides valuable insights into his strategic vision for MultiChoice. 

Background 
Vincent Bolloré, born in Boulogne-Billancourt, embarked on his journey as a corporate raider in France. His academic pursuits led him to the Lycée Janson-de-Sailly, and later, he earned a business degree from Université Paris X Nanterre. Bolloré initiated his career as an investment bank trainee at Edmond de Rothschild. 

  •  Beginning with the family-controlled conglomerate Bolloré, engaged in maritime freight, African trade, and paper manufacturing, he showcased his prowess in strategic investments. 
  •  This extended to media ventures, including the launch of the Direct 8 television station in 2005. Recognized for leveraging large stakes in companies, Bolloré entered power struggles, notably with companies like Bouygues and Ubisoft, yielding substantial capital gains.  
  • In 2005, he took charge of advertising group Havas, becoming its predominant shareholder. Bolloré further diversified his media holdings with the introduction of the Direct Soir newspaper. His investment group’s penetration into Africa established him as a key player in the economies of former French colonies such as Ivory Coast, Gabon, Cameroon, and Congo. 

Despite his triumphs, Bolloré faced legal challenges in 2018, experiencing custody and subsequent indictment on corruption-related charges linked to political consulting and port concessions in Togo and Guinea. His journey reflects a dynamic career marked by strategic investments, power struggles, and a significant impact on both French and African business landscapes. 

Vincent Bollore’s fortune 

Vincent Bolloré, the former chairman of Bollore Group, presided over a French conglomerate and is worth $9.53 billion according to Bloomberg Index. 

 The group, headquartered in Puteaux, boasts diverse investments, including a substantial stake in the media and entertainment entity Vivendi and ownership of internet service provider Wifirst.  

  • The crux of Bolloré’s wealth lies in his controlling interest in Financiere Odet, the publicly traded holding company overseeing Bollore Group.  
  • Approximately 87% of Financiere Odet is under the billionaire’s ownership, as indicated by a comprehensive analysis of his holding structure and the 2022 annual report.  
  • Within the media landscape, Bolloré’s family conglomerate takes the lead as the primary shareholder in Vivendi, holding a significant 29.5% stake.  
  • Vivendi encompasses prominent entities like French pay TV leader Canal+, advertising giant Havas, publisher Prisma Media, and mobile games firm Gameloft.  
  • Notably, Vivendi recently secured EU regulatory approval for its acquisition of French media group Lagardère, positioning itself strategically in key markets such as France, the U.K., Spain, and the U.S.  

To gain antitrust approval, Vivendi made divestitures, including the sale of its publishing group Editis and Gala magazine from Prisma Media. This move enhances Vivendi’s foothold in crucial markets. The listed company anticipates reaching an annual revenue of around $18 billion (€17 billion) this year, building upon its 2022 performance.  

Bolloré, currently holding 18% of Universal Music Group shares, maintains an active role in navigating the intricate landscape of investments and acquisitions, showcasing his adept leadership in the ever-evolving business terrain. 

The Business Diary magazine is a comprehensive publication that centers around business and economic development news. It covers a wide range of topics including finance, mining, technology, environment, climate finance, and agriculture. With its focus on providing valuable insights and updates, the magazine caters to readers who are interested in staying informed about the latest developments and trends in the business and economic landscape of Zimbabwe.

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Meet World’s Richest Family Who live In $478m House, Own 700 Cars

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Meet World’s Richest Family Who live In $478m House, Own 700 Cars

According to The Jerusalem Post, the Nahyan royal family of the United Arab Emirates is a dominant corporate and political force in the Gulf area, as well as one of the world’s wealthiest families.

Their net worth is greater than the combined wealth of Microsoft founder Bill Gates and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the head of the Nahyan family, is the UAE’s President and the ruler of Abu Dhabi.

He has 18 brothers, 11 sisters, nine children, and eighteen grandchildren. All of the family members reside together in the “Qasr Al-Watan,” a massive edifice spanning 380,000 square meters and valued at $478 million.

The family’s real estate holdings comprises opulent houses and developments both in the UAE and abroad.

They own eight aircraft, including one Airbus A320-200 and three Boeing 787-9s. Sheikh Mohammed’s personal collection includes a $478 million Boeing 747 and a $176 million Boeing 787.

In addition, they have three of the world’s largest yachts.

Their car collection is nothing short of astounding. According to reports, their vehicles are split out over four museums in the UAE and Morocco. The family owns more than 700 cars, including Ferraris and Lamborghinis.

The family owns 81% of the City Football Group, which includes football clubs like Manchester City, Mumbai City, Melbourne City, and New York City.

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Want to work at Meta? Average salary package in Mark Zuckerberg’s company is…

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Want to work at Meta. Average salary package in Mark Zuckerberg's company is

Big companies often get highlighted for the huge compensations that they offer and the perks one gets while working for them. Meta’s average package is a whopping $379,000, according to a recent SEC filing. The company, which employs around 67,000 people, said that its median employee made over $379,000 in the year 2023.

Meta’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg testifies during the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing at the US Capitol, in Washington, US. (Reuters)

The average pay for a tech position falls between $35,000 to $120,000 depending on the role, but Meta’s pay is significantly higher than that. However, giants like Google and Amazon offer packages that go well above $300,000 for similar positions.

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Also, higher-level software engineers and researchers in Meta make more in base pay than product designers and user experience professionals in the company.

What Mark Zuckerberg said on working at Meta?

CEO Mark Zuckerberg said earlier this year that working at Meta is not easy even if it offers such lucrative packages. He said that the year 2024 will be the “year of efficiency” in the company as he expects employees to maximize output and productivity.

How much does Mark Zuckerberg earn?

In the year 2023, Mark Zuckerberg noted a total compensation of $24.4 million in ‘other compensation,’ and a base salary of $1. According to Fortune, this covered his costs related to his private jet. His wealth has increased by over $47 billion this year alone, despite receiving a nominal salary of $1 since 2013.

As per reports, the company’s net profit in the January to March period rose to $12.4 billion with total revenue up by 27 percent, at $36.5 billion.

The company wrote in a filing, “We believe that Mr. Zuckerberg’s role puts him in a unique position: he is synonymous with Meta and, as a result, negative sentiment regarding our company is directly associated with, and often transferred to, Mr. Zuckerberg. Mr. Zuckerberg is one of the most-recognized executives in the world, in large part as a result of the size of our user base and our continued exposure to global media, legislative, and regulatory attention.”

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Egypt’s Richest Man, Nassef Sawiris’ Wealth Surges by $410M in Just over a Week.

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Nassef Sawiris, chief executive officer of Orascom Construction, speaks during a television interview at Bloomberg headquarters in New York, New York, on Wednesday, Sept. 5, 2012. Photographer: Stephen Yang/Bloomberg News

Egyptian billionaire Nassef Sawiris, the richest individual in his home nation and one of Africa’s most powerful businessmen, has seen his fortune increase by $410 million in just nine days. This strengthens his position atop the continent’s wealth pyramid and moves him up the worldwide rich list.

Sawiris’ net worth increased from $8.27 billion on April 16 to $8.68 billion as reported by the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, which analyzes the fortunes of the world’s 500 wealthiest individuals. This works out to an amazing average daily gain of $45.56 million.

The wealth increase reverses prior losses and brings Sawiris’ year-to-date gains to $271 million. This is primarily due to the performance of his investments in the Dutch fertilizer firm OCI N.V. and the German apparel brand Adidas. Sawiris owns 38.8 percent of OCI and 6% of adidas.

Adidas’ share price has risen 11.51 percent since April 16, from €202.50 ($217.03) to €225.80 ($242). This spike pushed the company’s market capitalization beyond $40 billion, increasing Sawiris’ ownership by an estimated $266.63 million. His stake in OCI has also increased by $35 million, reaching $2.17 billion from $2.13 billion. Sawiris’ surprising leap propels him nine ranks up the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, from 300th to 291st.

Adidas’ recent increases have boosted market confidence in its 2023 success. Despite ending its partnership with Kanye West’s Yeezy brand in October 2022, Adidas topped expectations with a €268-million ($292 million) operating profit, exceeding projections by roughly €1 billion ($1.08 billion).

Adidas is looking for fresh collaborations following the Yeezy split. CEO Bjorn Gulden hinted about possible collaborations with pop culture luminaries, including Taylor Swift as a candidate.

Furthermore, a significant coup for the corporation is Liverpool Football Club’s forthcoming transfer from Nike to Adidas uniforms beginning in the 2025-2026 season, securing a lucrative five-year contract gained after Adidas outbid Nike and Puma.

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