Bolloré

The firm was founded in 1822, in Ergué-Gabéric, near Quimper, Brittany by Nicolas Le Marié (1797–1870), as a paper manufacturer named Papeteries d'Odet. Beginning in 1863, it was directed by Jean-René Bolloré (1818–1881), a nephew by marriage who had obtained a medical doctorate in 1863.

The firm remained owned by the Bolloré family. Gwenn-Aël Bolloré was vice-president of the Papeteries Bolloré from 1952 to 1974. In late 2004, the Bolloré group began taking an interest in the advertising sector, and started building a stake in Havas, becoming its single largest shareholder. In a boardroom coup, Alain de Pouzilhac was deposed as president and CEO on July 12, 2005. The Bolloré stake in Havas stood at 26%, and the group had 3 seats on the Havas board as of June 2006. Vincent Bolloré's son, Yannick, became Havas' Chairman and CEO after its previous CEO stepped down in January 2014.

In 2005, Bolloré expanded its media interests by launching the television station Direct 8. The firm also began buying shares of the British media planning and buying group Aegis. Bolloré sold its 26% stake to Dentsu in 2012.

From 6 June 2006 to 22 December 2010, Bolloré launched a free evening newspaper Direct Soir. Lack of readers and advertising revenues made the group focus on its other free newspaper, "Direct Matin", launched in February 2007.

Bolloré manufactures the Bolloré Bluecar, a small electric car, initially produced to showcase the company's range of electric power cells. The Bluecar was introduced in December 2011 as part of the Autolib' carsharing service in Paris. Bluecar deliveries to retail customers began in March 2012.

In 2014, Bollore increased its stake in Havas from 36% to around 83% through a public exchange offer of new Bollore shares for Havas stock. The company said at the time it would like to hold onto a stake well in excess of 50%. In March 2015, Bollore sold a 22.5% stake in the media group for a price of around €600 million.

The next month, in April 2015, Bolloré raised its stake in media company Vivendi from 10.2% to 12.01% at a total cost of €568 million. As of 2016, it owns 20% of Vivendi (30% voting power), 60% of Havas and 9% of Gaumont.

In December 2021, After refusing to comment on market "rumors" announcing its intention to sell its Bolloré Logistics transport and logistics subsidiary in Africa, Bolloré announced it had received an offer from Mediterranean Shipping Company for this subsidiary. In 2022 the sale of Bolloré Africa Logistics was completed.

Operations

The Group's principal activities are as follows:

Plastic Film & Special Papers: polypropylene film for capacitors and packaging, special papers and cigarette paper packs;

Energy Distribution: distribution of petroleum and coal products;

Special Terminals: design, production, integration and distribution of intelligent systems and terminals for access control;

Controversies

According to a 2018 New York Times report, the company's air, sea, and land transportation network constitutes a "virtual stranglehold" on West African transport. Bolloré controls 18 ports along the western coast of the continent. In 2022, Bolloré Africa Logistics was sold to the MSC Group.

There are ongoing investigations into the role of drastically discounted Havas communications services accorded to Guinean candidate Alpha Condé and Togolese president Faure Gnassingbé during their presidential campaigns in the awarding of key port concessions in Conakry, Guinea and Lomé, Togo to Bolloré SA. After winning the election, Condé awarded a port-contract to Bolloré, terminating that of the competing Necotrans company. In a settlement, Bolloré paid €2 million to Necotrans without admitting guilt.

In January 2021, Vincent Bolloré and two other Bolloré executives pleaded guilty at a Paris court for supplying €370,000 worth of communication services to Gnassingbé. A 2021 Ghanaian ministerial committee investigation concluded that Bolloré secured an under the table deal with the John Mahama administration for building a new container terminal at Tema with terms strongly favouring the company at the expense of the Ghanaian government.

On March 18, 2025, a complaint was filed against the Bolloré group at the Paris National Financial Prosecutor's Office. This complaint was filed by the Restitution for Africa collective, which is made up of eleven NGOs present in six African countries: Togo, Guinea, Cameroon, Ghana, Ivory Coast, and the DRC, for alleged charges of "concealment" and "money laundering" in the context of its logistics activities in Africa and the management of its ports.