French billionaire becomes Vodafone’s largest shareholder with £4.4bn stake
French billionaire Xavier Niel has acquired a 16% stake in Vodafone for £4.4bn, becoming the company's largest shareholder. This move follows the exit of Emirati group e& and signals Niel's intent to influence Vodafone's long-term growth strategy.
Why it matters
This significant investment marks a major shift in the ownership structure of a key European telecommunications provider, potentially impacting its future operational focus.
The French telecoms mogul Xavier Niel and his partner, Delphine Arnault./Getty Images The French telecoms mogul Xavier Niel and his partner, Delphine Arnault./Getty Images Vodafone French billionaire becomes Vodafone’s largest shareholder with £4.4bn stake Xavier Niel buys 16% through investment vehicle Vega after Emirati telecoms group sells shareholding
Prefer the Guardian on Google The French telecoms billionaire Xavier Niel has become Vodafone’s largest shareholder after buying a 16% stake for £4.4bn.
On Friday, the Emirati telecoms group e&, which first took a stake worth £3.3bn in Vodafone in 2022 , announced the sale of its entire shareholding for 112.5p a share.
Niel, who founded the telecoms company Iliad, has bought the stake through his family investment vehicle Vega at a 15% premium to Vodafone’s share price on Thursday.
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