Serge Dassault -- scion of the former aviation tycoon Marcel, Godfather of the French aviation industry -- is set to take control of publishing giant Socpresse, the proprietor of national newspaper Le Figaro and influential weekly news magazine L'Express.
Groupe Dassault bought an initial 30% stake in Socpresse two years ago, later loaning €220 million to the publisher to allow it to buy L'Express and business monthly L'Expansion.
Dassault junior now says he will increase his stake to eighty per cent or more by June via a massive share purchase from the publishing company's controlling Hersant family.
Data sourced from: The Wall Street Journal Online; additional content by WARC staff
