Information
Niel has diminished his holding within the firm to lower than 0.1%
French billionaire Xavier Niel, proprietor of Iliad Group, has offered his roughly 6% stake in Belgian telco Proximus, in response to a current submitting.
Assuming Proximus’s current share value of €6.56, the deal would have netted Niel round €135 million.
Niel acquired his roughly 6% stake within the enterprise in late 2023 by way of his Irish holding firm Carraun, praising the operator’s networks and aggressive positioning.
By 2025, reviews recommended that Niel had proposed a shared possession mannequin with the Belgian authorities – Proximus’s largest stakeholder with round 53% possession. In keeping with these reviews, this deal would have seen the federal government retain the chairmanship of the board, with Niel appointed CEO and given the potential for rising his stake in future.
The deal was finally rejected by the state, which was seemingly seen the deal as one thing of a delicate takeover.
For years, Niel had beforehand made no secrets and techniques of his ambitions to launch his challenger model Free within the Belgium market, probably the most costly telecoms markets in Europe. Responding to a 2024 submit on X bemoaning the nation’s excessive costs, Niel stated he was all for it, saying “it’s your authorities that doesn’t need it” (translated).
Moi je suis chaud, c’est votre gouvernement qui veut pas https://t.co/iwJ2QbXuhR”>https://t.co/iwJ2QbXuhR
— Xavier Niel (@Xavier75) https://twitter.com/Xavier75/standing/1979549525816594492?ref_src=twsrcpercent5Etfw”>October 18, 2025
Now, with the Belgian authorities’s angle seemingly unchanged, Niel has determined to show his consideration elsewhere. One such location is unquestionably Chile, the place Niel’s NJJ Holding teamed up with Millicom to buy Telefónica’s native unit earlier within the 12 months.
With Brussels unwilling to loosen its grip on the previous incumbent, Niel seems to have concluded that Belgium’s telecom market stays simpler to complain about than to crack.
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