Factbox: Czech billionaire Kretinsky's sprawling empire

Television Francaise 1 SA

05/10/2023 12:00

(Updates Atos and Casino; removes Le Monde, adds Thyssenkrupp)
       Oct 5 (Reuters) - Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky has
been on a buying spree in France, with three new investments so
far this year. Most recently, supermarket group Casino finalised
a deal to avert bankruptcy, which will leave a consortium led by
Kretinsky with more than half of its shares.
    He has at least five investments in France, three in Britain
and one in Germany.
    Kretinsky, 47, a former investment bank lawyer who built one
of Europe's largest energy groups, Energeticky a Prumyslovy
Holding (EPH), has been diversifying into retail, media and
other areas.
    His net worth stands at $9.7 billion, according to Forbes.  
    Kretinsky's investment vehicle VESA Equity Investment has a
portfolio valued at more than 3 billion euros ($3.15 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
    The group, in which Kretinsky holds 50%+1 share, comprises
more than 70 energy-related companies and reported combined
revenue of 37 billion euros in 2022. EPH controls a total
installed capacity of 14 gigawatts, according to the company's
website. 
    It has controlling or large stakes in lignite, gas,
renewable and nuclear power plants in the Czech Republic,
Britain, Slovakia, Italy and elsewhere.
    The group also includes Slovak gas transit pipeline operator
Eustream, gas storage firms, cargo and commodity trading
businesses.

    RETAIL   
* Casino  CASP.PA  
    The French retailer said on Oct. 5 it had sealed a deal to
avert bankruptcy through a debt restructuring agreed with its
main creditors, led by Kretinsky. This finalised a July
agreement in principle that called for 1.2 billion euros of new
money to be injected into Casino and a reduction of its debt by
6.1 billion euros. A consortium led by Kretinsky will end up
with 50.4% to 53% of Casino shares, based on the July agreement.
* Fnac Darty  FNAC.PA 
    Kretinsky's VESA Equity also became the largest shareholder
of French retailer Fnac Darty, crossing a 25% threshold in
March, according to French markets regulator AMF. 
* Foot Locker  FL.N 
    Kretinsky's VESA Equity owns 12.3% voting rights in the U.S.
sportswear and footwear retailer.
* Metro  B4B.DE  
    Kretinsky holds 40.6% of German retail group Metro's voting
rights, being the controlling shareholder of the group,
according to Refinitiv data. 
* Sainsbury's  SBRY.L  
    VESA Equity also has a 9.99% stake in the British
supermarket group, Refinitiv data said.

MEDIA
* Editis
    France's Vivendi  VIV.PA , controlled by billionaire Vincent
Bollore, agreed in June to sell its publishing business Editis
to International Media Invest (IMI), a subsidiary of Kretinsky's
Czech Media Invest (CMI).
    CMI publishes four daily newspapers, a number of magazines,
and has an extensive digital and radio presence in the Czech
Republic.
* Elle, Marianne
    Kretinsky also owns several French titles via CMI, such as
Elle and news magazine Marianne, according to the CMI website.
* TF1
    VESA Equity holds 5% in French TV company TF1, according to
Refinitiv data.

OTHER
* Atos  ATOS.PA 
     Kretinsky is in exclusive talks to buy Atos's loss-making
Tech Foundations branch in a 2 billion-euro deal via his EP
Equity Investment vehicle, the French tech group said in August.
The deal would also give Kretinsky a 7.5% stake in its remaining
business, to be renamed Eviden.
* DoDo
    Logistics firm DoDo, which provides fast delivery services
to customers in e-commerce, retail and food delivery, said in
May 2022 Kretinsky would inject 60 million euros ($63.16
million) into the group over two years to support its
international expansion. 
* PostNL  PTNL.AS 
    Kretinsky has accumulated a 31.4% stake in the Dutch mail
and package delivery group through VESA Equity, a regulatory
filing showed in November 2022.
* International Distributions Services  IDSI.L 
    VESA Equity is the biggest shareholder in International
Distributions Services, the parent of Britain's Royal Mail,
holding a 26.15% stake, according to Refinitiv data. 
* Thyssenkrupp  TKAG.DE 
    German newspaper Handelsblatt reported in September
Thyssenkrupp was in talks to sell 50% of its steel division to
Kretinsky.
* West Ham
    Kretinsky's 1890s Holdings group has a 27% stake in English
Premier League soccer club West Ham United, according to the
club's website, adding to his ownership of the leading Czech
team, Sparta Prague. 
    
($1 = 0.9520 euros)

 (Compiled by Laura Lenkiewicz, Diana Mandiá, Jan Lopatka and
Jason Hovet; Editing by Tomasz Janowski, Jan Harvey, Sharon
Singleton and Milla Nissi)
 ((diana.mandiaalvarez@thomsonreuters.com;
laura.lenkiewicz@thomsonreuters.com))