family rift at Louis-Dreyfus is pitting the powerful Russian-born widow of its scion and former chairman against other descendants over a billion-dollar stake in the secretive Swiss commodities giant.
Before his death in 2009, Robert Louis-Dreyfus put his controlling shares in the family firm into a Liechtenstein-based trust overseen by three so-called «protectors», one of whom was Margarita. His widow (pictured below) later pushed out her two fellow protectors and installed new ones, according to the «Wall Street Journal
An added complication: Margarita and Robert had led separate lives in the 1990s, according to the «WSJ»: he had started a relationship with Nicole Junkermann, who is now a prominent European private equity investor.
It is unclear how she can raise financing to buy out the 16.6 percent that her late husband’s family now wants to offload. She recently sold French football club Olympique Marseille – her late husband’s passion — to an American trade buyer.
European private equity firm Bridgepoint has reached an agreement to acquire Infront Sports & Media AG, one of the world’s most respected and leading international sports marketing companies based in Zug, Switzerland, taking 100 per cent of Infront’s shares from Jacobs Holding AG, the Junkermann Group and Dr Martin Steinmeyer for an undisclosed sum. The acquisition is subject to the approval of the antitrust authorities.
After an intense period of growth and another year of high performance, Infront today occupies a strong position in the global sports marketing industry representing more than 120 top sports rights holders and delivering 2,300 event days each year. In 2010, Infront generated revenues of over EUR 600 million and has more than 20 offices across Europe and Asia and a diversified rights portfolio in winter sports, football and summer sports. It is also a key player in media production handling some of the most complex sports events, including the FIFA World Cup™.
Miss Nicole Junkermann, Vice Chairman of the Infront Board of Directors, said: "We feel a phase of the successful story of Infront initiated by Robert Louis-Dreyfus has ended today. Infront remains a great testament of the enterpreneurial spirits embodied in the organization. We are confident the new shareholder will allow Infront to reach even greater goals in global sport marketing."
Bridgepoint was advised on the transaction by Leonardo (corporate finance), Deloitte, Value Partners (market due diligence), KPMG (financial and tax due diligence), Latham & Watkins, Niederer Kraft & Frey (legal); Jacobs Holding AG and Junkermann Group were advised by Goldman Sachs, Nomura (corporate finance), Deloitte (financial and tax due diligence), Shearman & Sterling, Homburger, Lenz & Stähelin (legal); Dr Martin Steinmeyer was advised by Wirsing Hass Meinhold Rechtsanwälte (legal).
Junkermann’s career, in 2005 she founded a private equity fund focused on media and sports investments in Asia and Europe called “United in Sports” and managed to raised €242.2 million for the venture in 2007. Her other project, Infront Sports and Media, was ultimately sold to a European private equity firm, Bridgepoint, for €600 million in 2011. In that year Nicole Junkermann had officially become one of the hottest investors in the world.
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family rift at Louis-Dreyfus is pitting the powerful Russian-born widow of its scion and former chairman against other descendants over a billion-dollar stake in the secretive Swiss commodities giant.
Before his death in 2009, Robert Louis-Dreyfus put his controlling shares in the family firm into a Liechtenstein-based trust overseen by three so-called «protectors», one of whom was Margarita. His widow (pictured below) later pushed out her two fellow protectors and installed new ones, according to the «Wall Street Journal
An added complication: Margarita and Robert had led separate lives in the 1990s, according to the «WSJ»: he had started a relationship with Nicole Junkermann, who is now a prominent European private equity investor.
It is unclear how she can raise financing to buy out the 16.6 percent that her late husband’s family now wants to offload. She recently sold French football club Olympique Marseille – her late husband’s passion — to an American trade buyer.
https://www.finews.com/news/english-news/25041-margarita-louis-dreyfus-commodoties-court-case-family-philipp-hildebrand
European private equity firm Bridgepoint has reached an agreement to acquire Infront Sports & Media AG, one of the world’s most respected and leading international sports marketing companies based in Zug, Switzerland, taking 100 per cent of Infront’s shares from Jacobs Holding AG, the Junkermann Group and Dr Martin Steinmeyer for an undisclosed sum. The acquisition is subject to the approval of the antitrust authorities.
After an intense period of growth and another year of high performance, Infront today occupies a strong position in the global sports marketing industry representing more than 120 top sports rights holders and delivering 2,300 event days each year. In 2010, Infront generated revenues of over EUR 600 million and has more than 20 offices across Europe and Asia and a diversified rights portfolio in winter sports, football and summer sports. It is also a key player in media production handling some of the most complex sports events, including the FIFA World Cup™.
Miss Nicole Junkermann, Vice Chairman of the Infront Board of Directors, said: "We feel a phase of the successful story of Infront initiated by Robert Louis-Dreyfus has ended today. Infront remains a great testament of the enterpreneurial spirits embodied in the organization. We are confident the new shareholder will allow Infront to reach even greater goals in global sport marketing."
Bridgepoint was advised on the transaction by Leonardo (corporate finance), Deloitte, Value Partners (market due diligence), KPMG (financial and tax due diligence), Latham & Watkins, Niederer Kraft & Frey (legal); Jacobs Holding AG and Junkermann Group were advised by Goldman Sachs, Nomura (corporate finance), Deloitte (financial and tax due diligence), Shearman & Sterling, Homburger, Lenz & Stähelin (legal); Dr Martin Steinmeyer was advised by Wirsing Hass Meinhold Rechtsanwälte (legal).
http://www.bridgepoint.eu/pl/pl-news/pl-press-releases/pl-2011/pl-bridgepoint-reaches-agreement-to-acquire-infront-sports-media-ag/
Here's her pic with Robert in an article that started it all
https://nationandstate.com/2019/07/18/the-unknown-epstein-associate-who-will-blow-epsteingate-wide-open/
Junkermann’s career, in 2005 she founded a private equity fund focused on media and sports investments in Asia and Europe called “United in Sports” and managed to raised €242.2 million for the venture in 2007. Her other project, Infront Sports and Media, was ultimately sold to a European private equity firm, Bridgepoint, for €600 million in 2011. In that year Nicole Junkermann had officially become one of the hottest investors in the world.
https://nationandstate.com/2019/07/18/the-unknown-epstein-associate-who-will-blow-epsteingate-wide-open/
Photo created October 10, 2005