Vivendi makes offer to buy majority stake in Havas

According to a story in the Financial Times, Vincent Bolloré (pictured), chairman of French media group Vivendi and its main shareholder, has made an offer of €2.3bn cash for a 60% stake in communications company Havas. 

The two-stage transaction would see Vivendi acquire Group Bolloré’s holding in Havas for €9.25 per share. This is apparently a premium of 8.8% over Wednesday’s closing price for Havas shares. Vincent Bolloré’s son, Yannick, is chief executive of Havas.

“Our groups evolve in a common world, some of our teams already know each other and our cultures look alike and complete each other,” said Yannick Bolloré in an internal email obtained by Reuters.

According to the FT, the addition of Havas to Vivendi’s portfolio of companies, which includes Universal Music Group and Canal Plus, represents a desire to profit from opportunities around data analytics and branded content.