Vivendi Confirms KKR’s 40 Billion Euros Takeover Bid

PARIS, November 6: Vivendi has confirmed that it was in
talks with Kohlberg Kravis Roberts about a 40 billion-euros buyout offer.

A Vivendi statement issued over the weekend noted, “Vivendi
confirms having received and reviewed a friendly expression of interest from
KKR. This review, which included maintaining the current Vivendi assets within
the group in order to create value, did not result in any proposition and has
now ended.”

The Financial Times first reported the KKR offer over the
weekend. Had the deal gone through at 40 billion euros, it would have been the
world’s biggest buyout. Vivendi’s share price dropped by about 1.2 percent
today, reports indicate, after the company announced that the talks had failed.