The Wertheimers, owners of Chanel, join the Rothschilds

On the occasion of the publication of its annual results on February 13 around 6 p.m., the investment bank Rothschild & Co will announce its exit from the stock market. A historic event for the Paris Stock Exchange since Rothschild&Co entered it in… 1838, under the name of Paris Orléans! The many descendants of the founding family, grouped together within the Concordia holding company, already hold 38.9% of the capital and above all 47.5% of the voting rights announced at the beginning of February their plan to withdraw from listing, on the grounds that the title was not very liquid and that “none of the group’s businesses requires recourse to the capital markets”.

Great names of French capitalism

But the Rothschilds do not intend to take over 100% of the capital, now valued at more than 3.6 billion euros. The family, led by David and his son Alexandre, who is also managing director of the investment bank, appealed to large families to participate in the operation and become “long-term shareholders” of the group. According to the daily Les Echos, the Dassault family, already a shareholder, will participate in the operation, but other big names in French capitalism will enter the capital: the Peugeot family, probably via its listed holding company Peugeot Invest, which brings together its “additional” participations in the automotive group: Seb, Lisi, and the Orpea retirement homes. But also the Wertheimer brothers, owners of Chanel and second French fortune, will take a stake in the capital of the investment bank, with their half-brother Charles Heilbronn. The delisting operation should take place before the summer and take place at a price of 48 euros per share, ie a premium of 34% compared to the average price of the last 4 months.