Almost as much for the project Paris more

His teacher had already guessed one of the salient features of his personality. "Vincent mingles everything." He did more than to take my place... ", it said. No, the Bollore industrial did not place his mistress of school. But after more than thirty years to recover, and then to develop the activities of the family group in the paper, shipping, logistics, energy..., ilse mixes now all media affairs. Of the television station Direct 8 daily free "Direct night", Havas, the sixth advertising world, the European leader for the purchase of spaces and of the Council media Aegis, WiFi WiMax digital radio from the production company SFP, the Institute polls CSA or the cinema Gaumont and Mac Mahon, it has increased investment in this sector, which are now 16 of its assets (around EUR 1.3 billion). Sometimes by creating surprise and controversy, as in his control of Havas. Sometimes in more laborious way, as with Direct 8. In five short years, it has become a key player, supported by two grognards of the medium, the writer-journalist Philippe Labro and Jacques Séguéla advertising, not to mention his faithful lieutenant, Jean-Christophe Thiery, CEO of Bolloré media. Rare are those, however, who see clear his intentions. "He adopts the strategy of the spider, bluntly finds an advertising: he puts his feet across and is creating a real brothel."

Havas, FFL: earthquakes in the pub

In fact, when he took up in Havas in June 2005, the world of advertising was rocked. In record time. That of a general meeting of six hours in which, according to the expression coloured to a close, "we passed ras buttocks." Eighteen months after hunting Alain de Pouzilhac for the Presidency, the holding company has been "cleaned" and Bolloré has installed his men, starting with Dominique Delport, new boss of MPG (media and purchase of space Council). But what of the future A nasty joke circulating among analysts: "Bolloré wrote Havas on a Post-it... strategy." He has misplaced! "What is important! He believes hard as iron: "Havas is a horse race which had been a poor saddle and resulting in the wrong direction." It is a smaller group plays for him, as this gives him a strong capacity for reaction and creation.

This operation has however forced Bolloré to cross the English channel and invite in Aegis to protect Havas and its subsidiary MPG. 29.12 Of the capital, he became the first shareholder of the British. "Shocking!", are cried English, cooled by reputation. For the moment, there is access to the Board of Directors. "A takeover bid or nothing!", claiming in London. But he knows wait and seize the best opportunities, as it did a month and a half.

Flashbacks. Monday October 9, 12: 30 pm. Christophe Lambert, President of Publicis, just resign at Maurice Lévy, CEO of Publicis, Frédéric Raillard, and Farid Mokart, Marcel agency Presidents. Friday, they made contact with Vincent Bolloré, through his mentor, Antoine Bernheim, long figure emblematic of Lazard, to offer him to support their project. The case ended in a weekend, at the end of which the breton financial agreed to take 30 of their future structure FFL (Fred, Farid, Lambert). The approach of the three men made a bombshell. Marcel and his 60 colleagues found themselves suddenly deprived of management. Publicis accuses the coup.

More than the speed of the process, it is the name of Vincent Bolloré who hits the market. Until then, he walked rather hand in hand with Maurice Lévy, that he did know a common Advisor, Alain Minc. It is finished. The support of Bolloré to FFL is not "friendly", storm the President of Publicis in the wake of the announcement.

Without States of soul, Havas, that its slow descent to the underworld has long deprived of any competitive desire, just hunt on the lands of the pattern of Publicis. In a year, the group bought back Leg, Scher & Lafarge agencies... and agreed to support the future FFL. A financial evokes supported interest and repeated of the chess player is Bolloré family Badinter capital participation in Publicis.

Capital gains to invest

An exception to Vincent Bolloré is Havas. Its strategy on other fronts Take early positions in activities promised to become the mass media: free press, digital terrestrial television, new technologies, telecoms. In the TNT, he acquired a good rare: an authorization to issue which is likely to develop over time. In WiMax, wireless promising technology of the Internet, it has 12 licenses. And in telecoms, he thinks to be able to build EUR 1 billion. "We will assess later interest in a possible development in ADSL or optical fibre", specific Jean-Christophe Thiery.

Vincent Bolloré draws the landscape as it is in five or ten years. An approach to less expensive that acquire shares of the market in the traditional media: pay press, wireless TV... With permanently, a double equation in mind: controlling upstream media (newspapers, TV...) and play the card of synergies, even of the convergence between media and telecoms. "The media sector seems doubly promising: because it is in full reconstruction and because there are situations of flipping to play, as yesterday with the SFP and tomorrow in the press", noted Jean - Clément Texier, Director at BNP Paribas Corporate Finance.

His advisor Alain Minc, his analysis operation: "Vincent has two brains: a financial brain of lucrative short-term investments; and industrial brain argues in the long term. But his brains work in connection, because the profits in respect of capital gains are used

to fund long-term projects. "In the past, in fact, his attempts in the media to were transformed into simple, but generous, capital gains. Whether its incursion in Bouygues in 1998 particularly for its subsidiary TF1 or Pathé the following year, he won the jackpot with, respectively, 230 and 122 million euros.

The adventure was restarted with the takeover of the SFP end of 2001. Conducted smoothly on the recommendation of Stéphane Courbit, the President of Endemol France, to advise occult way Bolloré on several occasions, this operation was largely funded by the French State. PAF production, there is that nothing that the industrial crosses merrily at the outbreak of the TNT. In the fight against the "historical" TF1 and M6, it is in the front line alongside NRJ and AB. Pragmatic, it builds on the immediate interests of the 25 million French who then just five free channels.

The battle of the free

Not question however spending bleeds. At the outset in any case. Television studios settled in Puteaux, in the building Bolloré, where one has a view of entire Paris. A six floors of the Office of a President who never hesitates to go head to inquire about the health of the baby. In terms of programming, Direct 8 merely, at startup, to ensure minimum service. Since then, the grid has certainly evolved, but it is unrealistic. Erotic films or violence, but to give the image of "a large popular, cheerful and positive chain", dixit Vincent Bolloré, entertainment, political or citizens programs... So Alain Minc conducts interviews. By friendship... and no doubt recognition: the Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the "world" does not receive 1 of capital gains that saves Bolloré when he follows his advice His performance alongside surprising broadcasts. "All is well with the small corner", for example, which was recently for an hour, innovations in toilet paper. Offset! "Vincent Bolloré has a very gradual approach." "It is a few million to learn the profession of television when a group like Lagardère has invested, unsuccessfully, for hundreds of millions," note a media specialist.

The free daily "Direct night" appears as a by-product of television. A product of appeal. Programmes TV including those of Live 8, in a good position photos of stars... editorial content is reduced to the minimum portion. "The negation of the journalism!", rebelled a man press. "" Direct night"speaks to readers who return home after work and want to relax," argues Vincent Bolloré. Directed by Direct 8 teams, the newspaper relies on the logistics of Havas. To strengthen the positions of "Direct night", the businessman is ready for anything. Including planting the mess in the press. Thus bar road to free the "Figaro" vesper project by offering to finance a free daily in the morning with "The world". It is however with this same "Figaro" and M6 around a free discussions had started. According to the principle "who pays decides", Breton is to impose its views to the "world". "Greater Paris" before is all based on the photo, and turned to advertisers. At the risk of hitting the culture of the evening journal. The objective is to control in 2007 two free newspapers, each distributed to best 800,000 on the France. And is already working on a project of free weekly Sunday high-end. "Nothing is pending", provides his entourage. Finally, return to the folder "liberation" Some people think. "The pay press interest me", he said in any case.

Heavy Bill

At each new adventure, Bolloré is committed body and well, not hesitating to spend 80 of his time on his new project, delegating the rest. And each time it is ready to assume a heavy Bill: EUR 30 million in losses in 2005 for Live 8! And 15 million extra for "Direct night" the first year. Almost as much for the project "Paris more." And never returns envisaged for five years. More significant still, investment in WiMax, assessed between 200 and 400 million euros. Capital gains past including the EUR 800 million made in the surrender of its titles Vallourec allow him to invest, without having to fear the sword of Damocles of excessive debt. "The machine to gain is the price of his freedom of action," said Alain Minc. Better, analysts believe its financial surface to EUR 4 billion. What see coming.

Remains an unresolved question: what is it that makes running Vincent Bolloré "One sees the pieces of the puzzle, but alone knows the drawing he wants to achieve," said a banker. "It is, above all, a heritage approach, adjudicate relatives." Vincent wants to withdraw in 2022, the date of the bicentenary of the Bolloré group, and bequeath to his children media sector that really motivates. "Version brandied round interviews and confirmed by the presence of his two elder sons, Yannick, and Sebastian, in the media pole, but too angelic for it is in content. Because he also media interest him at the highest point: "his project would be to recreate the Havas of the era, Jacques Douce and Pierre Dauzier, in which the advertising agency met the press, publishing, audiovisual," argues Jean - Clément Texier. Others are more bitter: "it is driven by the ambition to leave the trace of a visionary of the media, one that has all guessed, all provided, any planned." Vincent Bolloré, future Murdoch The hypothesis can be smiling on the moment. But this may be less the case if he controls one day the levers of media, advertising and the purchase of spaces, is being hoisted to the rank of major telephone operator, mastering pipes and contained.