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Czech billionaire Kretinsky's sprawling empire

Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky has been on a buying spree in France and Britain, where he is working on improving an offer for the owner of Britain's Royal Mail.

He has at least six financial investments in France, three in Britain and one in Germany.

Kretinsky, 47, a previous financial investment bank attorney who developed one of Europe's biggest energy groups, Energeticky a Prumyslovy Holding (EPH), has actually been diversifying into retail, media and other locations.

His net worth stands at $9.7 billion, according to Forbes.

Kretinsky's financial investment vehicle VESA Equity Financial investment has actually a. portfolio valued at more than 3 billion euros ($ 3.15 billion),. according to its site.

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

EPH

The group, in which Kretinsky holds 50% +1 share, makes up. more than 70 energy-related companies and reported integrated. earnings of 37 billion euros in 2022. EPH controls a total. installed capability of 14 gigawatts, according to the company's. website.

It has controlling or large stakes in lignite, gas,. eco-friendly and nuclear power plants in the Czech Republic,. Britain, Slovakia, Italy and in other places.

The group likewise consists of Slovak gas transit pipeline operator. Eustream, gas storage firms, freight and product trading. organizations.

POSTAL SERVICES. * International Distributions Providers

Kretinsky is dealing with improving a deal for International. Circulations Providers, the moms and dad of Britain's Royal Mail,. according to a source with understanding of the plans on April 17,. after his financial investment vehicle stated it had actually made a non-binding bid. this month which was turned down.

VESA Equity is the greatest shareholder in International. Distributions Solutions, holding a 27% stake, according to LSEG. information. * PostNL

Kretinsky has actually collected a 31.4% stake in the Dutch mail. and plan shipment group through VESA Equity, a regulatory. filing showed in November 2022.

* Quadient

Kretinsky invested 1 billion Czech crowns ($ 42.22. million) in November to buy a stake in the French mailroom. devices company. His car VESA owns 10% of the ballot. rights, according to its site.

RETAIL. * Casino

Kretinsky's Casino buyout consortium stated in February that. the Paris Commerce court had authorized its plan to bail out the. debt-laden French retailer under a sped up security. procedure.

The French merchant stated on Oct. 5 it had actually sealed a deal to. avert insolvency through a debt restructuring concurred 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 Gambling establishment and a reduction of its debt by. 6.1 billion euros. A consortium led by Kretinsky will wind up. with 50.4% to 53% of Casino shares, based upon the July contract. * Fnac Darty

Kretinsky's VESA Equity likewise became the biggest shareholder. of French seller Fnac Darty, crossing a 25% threshold in. March, according to French markets regulator AMF. VESA owns 29%. of Fnac Darty's voting rights, according to the financial investment. vehicle's website. * Foot Locker

Kretinsky's VESA Equity owns 12.3% ballot rights in the U.S. sportswear and shoes retailer. * Metro

Kretinsky holds 49.99% of the German retail group's ballot. rights, German weekly Lebensmittelzeitung reported in March,. and is the managing investor of the group. * Sainsbury's

VESA Equity also has a 9.99% stake in the British. supermarket group, LSEG information said. MEDIA. * Editis

France's Vivendi, controlled by billionaire Vincent. Bollore, concurred 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 publications,. and has a substantial digital and radio existence in the Czech. Republic.

Vivendi stated in November it would receive a total of 653. million euros after finalising the sale. * Elle, Marianne

Kretinsky also owns several French titles by means of CMI, such as. Elle and news magazine Marianne, according to the CMI site. * TF1

VESA Equity holds 5% in French television business TF1, according to. LSEG information. OTHER. * Atos

Kretinsky is in restored speak with buy Atos' loss-making Tech. Foundations branch, Bloomberg reported in February, a day after. talks over a 2 billion-euro offer had actually collapsed. The offer would. also give Kretinsky a 7.5% stake in Atos' remaining company, to. be renamed Eviden. * DoDo

Logistics firm DoDo, which supplies fast shipment services. to consumers in e-commerce, retail and food delivery, said in. May 2022 Kretinsky would inject 60 million euros ($ 63.16. million) into the group over 2 years to support its. worldwide expansion. * Thyssenkrupp

German paper Handelsblatt reported in September. Thyssenkrupp was in talk with offer 50% of its steel department to. Kretinsky.

The conglomerate's CEO stated in January that weakening steel. markets were making complex the talks. * 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.

(source: Reuters)