Vivendi
Logo used since 2006 | |
Vivendi's headquarters in Paris | |
| Formerly |
|
|---|---|
| Company type | Public |
| |
| ISIN | FR0000127771 |
| Industry | Investment |
| Founded | 14 December 1853 |
| Founder | Napoleon III |
| Headquarters | , |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people |
|
| Revenue | 10.5 billion (US$12.42 billion) (2023) |
| 930 million (US$1.1 billion) (2023) | |
| 720 million (US$851.54 million) (2023) | |
| Total assets | 38.3 billion (US$45.3 billion) (2023) |
| Total equity | 17.1 billion (US$20.22 billion) (2023) |
| Owner | Bolloré (27% equity, 30% voting power) |
Number of employees | 73,000 (2023) |
| Subsidiaries | |
| Website | vivendi.com |
Vivendi SE (stylized in all lowercase) is a French investment company headquartered in Paris. It wholly-owns Gameloft as well as investments in companies, primarily involved in content, entertainment, media, and telecommunications.
In 2000, Vivendi Universal was created from the merger of Groupe Canal+ and Seagram Company Ltd., owner of Universal Studios. Vivendi sold 80% of Vivendi Universal Entertainment (including Universal) to the later-defunct General Electric (GE, owner of NBC) in 2004, forming what is NBCUniversal. In 2006, it sold off most of the Universal components and its name reverted to Vivendi. GE bought out Vivendi's 20% stake in NBCUniversal during Comcast's acquisition of the latter. As of 2021, Vivendi's chairman Yannick Bolloré is also CEO of Havas, which was spun off from Vivendi in 2000, later became a subsidiary, and was spun off again in 2024.
From 2021, Vivendi has spun off its fully owned assets in order to become an investment company. The process started with the floating of 60% of Universal Music Group, the world's largest music business and owned since the creation of Vivendi Universal. In 2024, this process concluded with the spin-off of three of its other fully owned assets into three companies: Canal+ (entertainment), Havas (advertising), and Louis Hachette Group (publishing, distribution, and travel retail). Other investments include stakes in Banijay and MediaForEurope.