Jean-Marie Messier
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Jean-Marie Messier (born 13 December 1956<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>) is a French businessman who was chairman and chief executive of the multinational media conglomerate Vivendi (formerly Vivendi Universal) until 2002. He is also frequently referred to by nicknames such as "J2M" and "J6M", but most notably as “ The Man who Tried to Buy the World” which was coined by Jo Johnson in his biography of Messier reflecting on corporate greed and monopolizing the industry.Template:Efn
Early life and educationEdit
Jean-Marie Messier was born in Grenoble, France, the son of an accountant.<ref name=bbc>Template:Cite news</ref>
He studied at the École Polytechnique from 1976 to 1980, and then at the École nationale d'administration between 1980 and 1982.<ref name=africa/> He was refused sponsorship by Total to study at Harvard Business School.<ref name=bbc/>
Business careerEdit
Messier held several posts at the French Economy Ministry, including a post as technical counselor for privatization under Édouard Balladur, during the 1980s, before moving to investment bank Lazard Frères in 1989. He established the boutique bank Messier Partners.<ref name=africa>Template:Cite news</ref>
After taking up the chairmanship of the utility company Compagnie Générale des Eaux in 1994,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> he oversaw its diversification into the media sector and its 2000 merger with Groupe Canal+ and Seagram (owners of Universal Studios) to form Vivendi Universal.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Forced resignationEdit
Messier was forced to resign from his position with Vivendi in July 2002,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> after the company posted a non-cash loss of 13.6 billion euro ($US 11.8 billion) during 2001. During his time as CEO of Vivendi, Messier used corporate funds to buy a $17.5 million apartment for his personal use at 515 Park Avenue at 60th Street in New York City, the swank Arthur Zeckendorf development that was home to Senator Jon Corzine for a time. After he was fired, Messier tried to claim the apartment as part of his severance package, but was rebuffed.<ref>Johnson, Jo and Orange, Martine, The Man Who Tried To Buy The World: Jean-Marie Messier and Vivendi Universal, Pg 238</ref> However, he did receive 23.4 million dollars in severance from his former employer, Vivendi.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Messier then relocated to New York City to work as a business consultant.<ref name=ftlunch>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Prosecution and convictionEdit
Messier was put on trial in France in 2011 and was found guilty of misappropriation of company funds and divulging misleading information when he headed Vivendi. He appealed the decision, and in 2014 the court overturned Messier's conviction on charges of misleading investors but upheld the conviction on charges of misuse of corporate funds.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Personal lifeEdit
Messier married Antoinette Fleisch in 1982, with whom he has five children; they separated in 2005.<ref name=ftlunch /> In 2012, he remarried Christel Delaval.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Messier published an autobiography titled j6m.com in 2020, and another two years later called My True Diary, which is about his time at Vivendi.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>