By Dominique Vidalon and Mathieu Rosemain
PARIS (Reuters) – A trio of French businessmen readied on Thursday to make a brand new supply for debt-laden grocery store chain On line casino after unique tie-up talks between On line casino and smaller retail rival Teract collapsed.
In a joint assertion, telecoms billionaire Xavier Niel, funding banker Matthieu Pigasse and entrepreneur Moez-Alexandre Zouari mentioned they had been ready to take a position their funds in On line casino to discover a lasting resolution to the group’s monetary woes.
This new cash would come within the type of a devoted automobile, dubbed “3F” (founders, associates & household), that may be invested in a possible share sale of On line casino, a supply near the matter mentioned.
Beginning with 300 million euros, 3F will search to lift cash from On line casino’s collectors to carry the sum to a bit of over one billion euros, the supply added.
On line casino had a consolidated internet debt of 6.4 billion euros on the finish of final yr. It faces 3 billion euros’ price of debt repayments within the subsequent two years and the holding firm by which veteran entrepreneur Jean-Charles Naouri controls the corporate can be closely indebted.
Amid mounting considerations about its potential to pay again its money owed, On line casino had been weighing a tie-up proposal from Teract and a rival one from Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky.
However Teract and On line casino mentioned on Thursday they’d determined by mutual settlement to finish unique talks began since March to mix the 2 group’s retail actions in France.
Final month On line casino, which owns the Franprix and Monoprix chains, formally began court-backed negotiations with its collectors.
In April, Kretínsky, already On line casino’s second-largest shareholder, supplied to take management of On line casino by a 1.1 billion euro ($1.18 billion) capital enhance.
Kretinsky’s proposal is backed by investor Marc Ladreit de Lacharrière, whose Fimalac group is now On line casino’s third-largest shareholder.
On line casino mentioned on Thursday the tip of the discussions with Teract had no influence on a protocol of intent On line casino introduced final month with French rival Groupement Les Mousquetaires and which entails the sale to Les Mousquetaires of On line casino shops in France, representing round 1.05 billion euros in gross sales.
($1 = 0.9316 euros)
(Reporting by Dominique Vidalon; extra reporting by Mathieu Rosemain and Gus Trompiz, Modifying by Susan Fenton and Silvia Aloisi)
