Czech billionaire Kretinsky's sprawling empire
Updates Casino, Editis
May 30 (Reuters) -Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky haspressed on with his buying spree this week witha deal via investment vehicleEP Group to take the owner of Britain'sRoyal Mail private.
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 $9.4 billion, according to Forbes.
Kretinsky operates through various investment vehicles, including EP Group and VESA Equity Investment. The latter has a portfolio valued at more than 3 billion euros ($3.24 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 over 50% in EPH through its parent EPCG, which owns scores of energy companies across western and central Europe.
The energy business of EPCG reported a combined core profit (EBITDA) of 7.3 billion euros for 2023.
POSTAL SERVICES
* International Distributions Services IDSI.L
The owner of Britain's Royal Mail said on May 29 it had agreed to a 3.57 billion pound ($4.53 billion) takeover by Kretinsky.
* PostNL PTNL.AS
Kretinsky has accumulated a 31.4% stake in the Dutch mail and package delivery group through VESA, a regulatory filing showed in November 2022.
* Quadient QDT.PA
Kretinsky invested 1 billion Czech crowns ($43.58 million) in November to buy a stake in the French mailroom equipment company. VESA owns 10% of the voting rights, according to its website.
RETAIL
* Casino CASP.PA
Kretinsky's Casino buyout consortium said in February that 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 shows.
* Fnac Darty FNAC.PA
VESA became the largest shareholder of the French retailer, data by French markets regulator AMF showed. VESA owns 29% of Fnac Darty's voting rights, according to the investment vehicle's website.
* Foot Locker FL.N
VESA owns 12.3% voting rights in the U.S. sportswear and footwear retailer.
* Metro B4B.DE
Kretinsky is the controlling shareholder of the group with 49.99% of the German retail group's voting rights, German weekly "Lebensmittelzeitung" reported in March.
* Sainsbury's SBRY.L
VESA has a 9.99% stake in the British supermarket group, LSEG data showed.
MEDIA
* Editis
France's Vivendi VIV.PA agreed in June to sell its publishing business Editis to International Media Invest, a unit of Kretinsky's Czech Media Invest (CMI).
Vivendi said in November it receiveda total of 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.
* TF1
VESA holds 5% in French TV company TF1, LSEG data shows.
OTHER
* Thyssenkrupp TKAG.DE
The German industrial conglomerate said on May 23 its supervisory board approved a planned sale of 20% of its steel division to Kretinsky despite continued opposition from labour representatives.
Thyssenkrupp said in April that the parties are also in talks about the acquisition of a further 30% stake, aiming for a 50-50 joint venture.
* Atos ATOS.PA
Kretinsky is trying to persuade creditors to side with him in the battle for Atos, a source close to the matter said in May.
His EP Equity Investment (EPEI), in partnership with British fund Attestor, is offering to erase more than 90% of Atos' 4.8 billion-euro financial debt and sell large parts of the company, with the proceeds partially distributed to creditors.
* DoDo
Logistics firm DoDo, which provides fast delivery services to customers in e-commerce, retail and food delivery, said in May 2022 that Kretinsky would inject 60 million euros into the group over two years to support its international expansion.
* 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 = 0.9265 euros)
($1 = 0.7883 pounds)
($1 = 22.9450 Czech crowns)
Compiled by Laura Lenkiewicz, Diana Mandiá, Jan Lopatka, Jason Hovet and Alessandro Parodi; Editing by Tomasz Janowski, Jan Harvey, Sharon Singleton, Milla Nissi, Stephen Coates and Ana Nicolaci da Costa
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