Bolloré

Bolloré SE
Company type	Public (Société européenne)
Industry	Conglomerate (logistics, energy distribution, media, plantations, telecommunications, electric vehicles)
Predecessor	Papeteries d'Odet
Founded	1822; 204 years ago in Ergué-Gabéric, Brittany, France
Founder	Nicolas Le Marié
Headquarters	Puteaux, France
Area served	Worldwide
Key people	Cyrille Bolloré (CEO), Yannick Bolloré (Chairman and CEO of Havas)
Products	Freight logistics, oil storage and pipeline management, solid-state batteries, access control technologies, plantations (palm oil, rubber, olives), viticulture, media and advertising, telecommunications, electric vehicles
Owner	Financière de l'Odet (63%)
Website	www.bollore.com

Bolloré SE () is a diversified French multinational headquartered in Puteaux, close to Paris, France. Established in 1822, the enterprise is active in sectors such as global freight logistics, oil storage and pipeline management, solid-state battery manufacturing, access control technologies, palm oil and rubber cultivation across Asia and Africa, olive farming in the United States, and viticulture in France.

By 2004, Bolloré was ranked among the leading 200 companies in Europe. It trades on the Euronext Paris stock exchange, with the Bolloré family retaining majority ownership through an intricate network of holding entities.

The company’s current leadership is under Cyrille Bolloré, son of Vincent Bolloré.

History

Originating in 1822 in Ergué-Gabéric, Brittany, the business was initially founded by Nicolas Le Marié as Papeteries d'Odet. Control transitioned to the Bolloré family in 1863 when Jean-René Bolloré took over, and the family has maintained ownership ever since.

Starting in 2004, Bolloré broadened its activities into the advertising sector by acquiring a substantial portion of Havas, becoming its primary shareholder with a 26% stake by 2006. In 2014, Vincent Bolloré’s son, Yannick Bolloré, assumed the roles of Chairman and CEO at Havas.

In the media domain, Bolloré established the TV channel Direct 8 in 2005 and acquired shares in the British media firm Aegis Group plc, which were later sold to Dentsu in 2012.

Between 2006 and 2010, Bolloré published the free evening newspaper Direct Soir but subsequently concentrated on its other free daily publication, "Direct Matin."

Bolloré introduced the Bolloré Bluecar, an electric automobile launched in December 2011 for Paris’s Autolib' car-sharing initiative; retail sales commenced in March 2012.

In 2014, Bolloré boosted its ownership in Havas to nearly 83%, later divesting 22.5% for around €600 million in 2015. That year also saw an increase in its stake in media conglomerate Vivendi from 10.2% to over 12%, involving an investment of €568 million. As of 2016, its portfolio included a 20% shareholding in Vivendi (with 30% voting rights), a 60% controlling interest in Havas, and a 9% stake in Gaumont.

In December 2021, Swiss maritime leader Mediterranean Shipping Company made an offer to acquire Bolloré’s African transport arm, Bolloré Africa Logistics (BAL), with the transaction concluding in 2022.

In September 2024, Bolloré announced plans for a public tender offer targeting Companie Du Cambodge, Fincière Moncey, and Société Industrielle et Fincière de l'Artois to streamline its corporate structure.

Operations

The Group’s principal activities encompass:

Plastic Film & Special Papers: production of polypropylene films used for capacitors and packaging applications, specialized papers, and cigarette wrapping papers;
Energy Distribution: supply and distribution of petroleum products and coal;
Special Terminals: engineering and manufacturing of advanced access control systems;
Plantations: cultivation of rubber and palm oil plantations located throughout Africa and Asia;
Media & Advertising: majority ownership (60%) of media firm Havas, led by CEO Yannick Bolloré, who also serves as chairman of Vivendi SA, where Bolloré holds approximately a quarter of shares;
Telecommunications: controlling interest (90%) in Bolloré Telecom, a French operator specializing in WiMAX services.

Ownership of Bolloré is predominantly held (63%) by Financière de l'Odet, the family’s holding company. In April 2019, Vincent Bolloré appointed his son, Cyrille Bolloré, as CEO shortly before Vincent encountered legal proceedings related to operations in Africa.

AutoLib

The initiative aimed to unify payment systems for both bicycle and car rental programs alongside public transit ticketing. Two electric car manufacturers were evaluated as potential suppliers: the Dassault Group with its Cleanova model, derived from the Renault Kangoo, and Bolloré with its Bluecar, designed in collaboration with the Italian firm Pininfarina and introduced commercially in 2011.

Pininfarina B0

The electric vehicle concept B0 ("B Zero") was unveiled by Pininfarina, featuring a four-seat hatchback design equipped with a solid-state lithium-polymer battery, supercapacitors, and an integrated solar panel on the roof, delivering an estimated range of 153 miles. This model, developed jointly with Bolloré, was slated for limited production starting in 2009.

Bluecar

Bolloré manufactures the Bolloré Bluecar, a small electric vehicle originally created to demonstrate its proprietary electric power cell technology. The Bluecar debuted in December 2011 as part of the Autolib' carsharing program in Paris, with consumer sales commencing in March 2012. Additionally, the Bluecar was utilized in London's Bluecity car sharing initiative from 2017 until 2020.

Bluebus

The Bolloré Bluebus 22 is a compact 6-meter electric microbus capable of seating 22 passengers, first introduced in Mulhouse in 2015. Since 2015, the full-sized Bolloré Bluebus SE, a 12-meter low-floor urban bus, has been produced and is operational in cities such as Paris and Brussels. In early 2022, the Paris transit authority RATP temporarily withdrew its fleet of 149 Bluebus 5SE vehicles following multiple fire incidents.

Solar vehicles

Hanergy collaborated with Bolloré Group to advance the development of solar-powered electric vehicles.

Controversies

A report published in 2018 emphasized Bolloré's dominant influence over transport infrastructure across air, sea, and land routes in West Africa, characterizing it as a "virtual stranglehold." Until its logistics division was divested to MSC Group in 2022, the company controlled operations at 18 ports along Africa's western coastline.

Scrutiny has been directed at discounted communication services offered by Bolloré's subsidiary Havas during presidential election campaigns in Guinea and Togo, which were connected to the awarding of significant port concessions. Following Alpha Condé's electoral victory, Bolloré acquired a port contract in Conakry that ended competitor Necotrans' agreement; subsequently, Bolloré reached a €2 million settlement with Necotrans without admitting any fault.

In January 2021, Vincent Bolloré and other executives admitted guilt for providing communication services valued at €370,000 to Togo's president Faure Gnassingbé. Furthermore, an investigation by Ghanaian authorities revealed that Bolloré received advantageous conditions for constructing a container terminal at Tema during John Mahama's presidency.

On March 18, 2025, the Restitution for Africa collective lodged a formal complaint against Bolloré at the Paris National Financial Prosecutor's Office accusing the company of "concealment" and "money laundering" related to its logistics and port operations across Africa.

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