French media mogul and Havas chairman, Vincent Bollore, has continued his drive to acquire shares in UK marketing firm, Aegis, snapping up a further 2.9 million shares to push his stake in the company to 25.47%.
Bollore’s latest acquisition builds on his long-running spending spree last year, which seemed to have halted as the entrepreneur reached a 25.05% share in Aegis in November (see Bollore Raises Aegis Stake To Over 25%).
Bollore’s intentions towards Aegis are not yet known in full, with the Frenchman claiming he will not take his stake in the firm beyond 30%, the point at which he is obliged to offer at least 143.75p per share for the firm under British takeover regulations.
Bollore has yet to request a seat on the Aegis board, and has described his share purchases as a financial interest, rather than a strategic one.
Aegis Group: 020 7070 7700 www.aegisplc.com