Factbox: Czech billionaire Kretinsky's sprawling business empire

Atos SE

17/11/2025 10:23

Adds TotalEnergies deal in EPH section

Nov 17 (Reuters) - Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky has been buying up businesses across Europe, spanning retail, media and postal services.

Kretinsky, 50, a former lawyer who built one of Europe's largest energy groups, Energeticky a Prumyslovy Holding (EPH), has a net worth of around $10 billion, according to an estimate by Forbes.

He operates through various investment vehicles, including EP Group and VESA Equity Investment. The latter has a portfolio value of more than 3 billion euros ($3.52 billion) according to its website.

Here is a summary of some investments by firms controlled by Kretinsky and his long-term business partner, Patrik Tkac:

* EPH

Kretinsky holds slightly more than 50% of EPH through its parent EPCG, which owns scores of energy companies across western and central Europe.

French oil major TotalEnergies SE TTEF.PA agreed on November 17 to acquire 50% of EPH's flexible power generation platform in Western Europe through a 5.1 billion euro all-stock deal, with EPH set to take a 4.1% stake in the French company.

The transaction will create a 50-50 joint venture managing gas-fired and biomass plants and battery systems across Italy, the UK, Ireland, the Netherlands and France.

EPH is "part of the process" in the sale of Uniper, a source familiar with the matter said on January 20, declining to be identified because the talks are confidential.

On December 19, EPH signed a deal to acquire Italian group Enel's ENEI.MI stake in Slovak electricity producer Slovenske Elektrarne.

POSTAL SERVICES

* International Distribution Services

Britain cleared EP Group to buy the Royal Mail parent in a 3.57 billion pound ($4.79 billion) take-private deal in December.

EP Group said on April 3 the takeover had cleared all regulatory conditions, and Kretinsky became chairman of Royal Mail in June.

* PostNL PTNL.AS

Kretinsky has a 30.1% stake in the Dutch mail and package delivery group through VESA, according to a December 2024 regulatory filing.

* Quadient QDT.PA

Kretinsky invested 1 billion Czech crowns ($48.35 million) in November 2023 to buy a stake in the French mailroom equipment company and has been building his stake since. VESA owned 25.04% of the voting rights as of September 22, the French markets regulator AMF said.

RETAIL

* Unieuro

French retailer Fnac Darty and Ruby Equity Investment, both linked to Kretinsky via VESA, took the Italian consumer electronics retailer private in early January.

* Casino CASP.PA

Kretinsky's Casino buyout consortium said in February 2024 the Paris commerce court had approved its plan to bail out the debt-laden French retailer under an accelerated protection procedure.

Following the deal, the consortium owned 53.73% of Casino shares as of May 6, LSEG data showed.

* Fnac Darty FNAC.PA

VESA is the largest shareholder of the French electronics and books retailer, with around 28% of Fnac Darty's voting rights.

* Foot Locker

VESA had a stake in the U.S. sportswear and footwear retailer which was taken over by Dick's Sporting Goods DKS.N in September.

* Metro

The German retail group said on February 4 it had signed an agreement with EPGC, its largest shareholder with a 49.99% stake, for it to buy all the remaining shares and take the company private.

* Sainsbury's SBRY.L

VESA has a 10.06% stake in the British supermarket group, LSEG data showed.

MEDIA

* Editis

France's Vivendi VIV.PA agreed in June 2023 to sell its publishing business Editis to a unit of Kretinsky's Czech Media Invest. Vivendi said in November 2023 it had received 653 million euros after finalising the sale.

* Elle, Marianne

Kretinsky also owns several French titles via CMI, such as Elle and news magazine Marianne, according to the CMI website.

OTHER

* West Ham

Kretinsky's 1890s Holdings group has a 27% stake in the English Premier League soccer club, according to the club's website, in addition to his ownership of the leading Czech team, Sparta Prague.

($1 = 0.8531 euros)

($1 = 0.7447 pounds)

($1 = 20.6840 Czech crowns)

 (Compiled by Diana Mandiá, Jan Lopatka, Jason Hovet, Alessandro Parodi, Gianluca Lo Nostro, Jakob Van Calster and Laura Contemori; Editing by Milla Nissi, Helen Reid and Frances Kerry)

 ((diana.mandiaalvarez@thomsonreuters.com))