After ten years working in the banking sector, young Vincent Bolloré joined the family business in 1981. As heir to a bicentennial group, his family was renowned in the field of cigarette paper (the famous B OCB rolling paper). Upon arrival, he gradually expanded the group’s activities, especially in the field of transportation and logistics. Its operations are still far from the media world.
In 2025, his name is everywhere. Even though he officially retires in 2022, the industrialist remains the driving force of the Vivendi group. He advised the chairman of the management board, Arnaud de Puyfontaine, one of his most loyal collaborators. And the galaxy continues to expand, from television channels to publishers, and from radio stations to relay boards at train stations and airports.
What is sometimes called the “Bolloré empire” today stands out as a force structuring public debate, with cultural and political positions characterized by ultraconservative values. Proponents see this as a useful counterbalance to a supposedly homogenous media world, while others fear an unprecedented concentration of economic, media, and ideological power in the hands of one person.
From industrialist and author of stock market coups to central media player, how Vincent Bolloré, 11th the wealth of France, did he patiently build up a tremendous influence?
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