Christian Derveloy

"• - The Ferinel group, with a turnover of one billion, a major real estate group from the North, specialized in leisure real estate and in the construction of individual houses. Bernard Arnault is already ahead thanks to the agreement that has just been signed with the brothers; • - The Prouvost group, with a turnover of 7 billion, led by Christian Derveloy, the leading European wool group, which benefits from the support of Georges Plescoff, who has already worked on this file at the request of IDI; • - The Bidermann group, with a turnover of 3.4 billion, led by Georges Jollès, who was, it must be remembered, for more than three months, the general manager of CBSF and who therefore knows the dossier perfectly; • - Bernard Tapie, with a turnover of 4 billion, who lets it be known that he is also a candidate to take over the business and announces having the support of banks and investors to close a round of funding, thanks especially to an Arab businessman and American banks."

"The providential opportunity came with Peaudouce. The last French diaper company is very profitable. It generates a turnover of 2.1 billion francs and makes nearly 100 million in profits. Arnault will be able to sell it at a high price. Therefore, he begins negotiations with the Swedish group Mölnlyck in the fall. As a skilled negotiator, he manages to impose his price: 2 billion francs. This decision provokes the anger of the public authorities who threaten to refuse the sacred authorization for foreign investments in France to the Swedish group. "Peaudouce was too small to resist the global giants in the sector," argues Bernard Arnault. On January 20, 1988, he signs the sales agreement. At the same time, during a lunch with Christian Derveloy, the president of Prouvost, he negotiates the sale of his textile activities. 14."