Lazard Bank
Strategic Concepts & Mechanics
Primary Evidence
"It's Antoine Bernheim, a legendary figure in Lazard Bank, with his unwavering three-piece suit even in the heatwave, and mentor to Vincent Bolloré in his early years, who inoculated the green-white-red virus into the entrepreneur. And by the way, the first dose was served on a silver platter by the Italians themselves: "I know a very intelligent boy, I am a friend of the family, and he needs help," Bernheim confided to the Agnelli, the owners of Fiat, for whom he was, at Lazard, the gateway to France."
"The funds for the capital increase still need to be found. On one side, Alain Clarou, on the other, Antoine Bernheim, take up their pilgrim's staff. Arnault had assured Bernheim that he could put 90 million on the table, but he actually only has 40 million, from the sale of Férinel's construction activities. Crédit Lyonnais, in which Michel Lefebvre has kept excellent contacts, is ready to advance 50 million. In any case, 90 million is by far insufficient. Lazard Bank will fully engage to bring together a solid consortium."
"It is such a long story. No family in France can rival the Wendels in terms of longevity. At the death of Jean-Martin, Mayer Amschel Rothschild, the first in a line of bankers, is not yet born. The Schneiders, ironmasters who would become both associates and rivals of the Wendels, do not begin their activities at Le Creusot until a century later. As for Lazard Bank, another major institution, it only comes into being in 1848, in New Orleans. By that time, it is already Jean-Martin de Wendel’s great-grandsons who are running the family forges."
"On December 21, Citroën files for bankruptcy, and the commercial court of Paris declares the judicial liquidation. The Lazard Bank, which is the largest creditor among all financial institutions, asks Michelin, the largest creditor among the two thousand four hundred industrial suppliers, to take charge (André Citroën owes eighty-two million to his tire supplier)."
"Michel Lefebvre, CEO of Ferinel, also emphasizes the need for progress in marketing and commercial policy, practices he has successfully implemented to ensure Ferinel's success in the leisure real estate sector. The listeners listen with curiosity to this young 35-year-old Polytechnician, who has just cut his teeth in the United States, full of vigor and fire, and who does not resemble the archetypal establishment bosses. The financial scope of Ferinel is indeed less significant than that of its competitors, but thanks to the sponsorship of Dreyfus Bank and Lazard Bank, Bernard Arnault, advised by Antoine Bernheim, is able to raise a round table of 400 million francs, with Ferinel's participation being only 100 million."
"To achieve this, he benefited from the support of Antoine Bernheim, the all-powerful managing partner of Lazard Bank, during the period from 1967-2005, who carefully watched over his steps as he had done before with Bernard Arnault, Vincent Bolloré, and François Pinault."