Stéphane Richard, Xavier Niel has been a loyal partner in the Orange / Bouygues negotiations – Univers Freebox

Stéphane Richard returned to Challenges on the failure of redemption Bouygues Telecom. According to the CEO of Orange, it is “ a missed opportunity for the country, it was a real opportunity for the companies, investment and employment in the sector. We were very close to success, even though we knew it was a complicated operation, involving four players over the State . “

Stéphane Richard think everyone has his share responsibility for the failed negotiations. He also confesses to have discovered some character traits of competing entrepreneurs: it defines Patrick Drahi like a true entrepreneur who does not have cold feet, more focused on the economic parameters of the risks, “ Unlike Xavier Niel: it has some risk aversion But I would say he was a loyal partner in this negotiation . “. About Martin Bouygues, the boss of Orange was perceived as a boss who may have underestimated the complexity of the subject, and this is probably the one who had the most to lose.

Stéphane Richard also returns on prices. He thinks that there will be agitation but no price wars and promotions that you stop in some time: “ is a lot of money wasted some millions of consumers out of 60 million. the customers you earn in March were lost in April. the different actors will have just more ways to burn the fuel in the incinerator of the price war . “