Xavier Niel: Founder and Deputy Chairman of Iliad
As one of France’s wealthiest businessmen, Xavier Niel has been a central figure in the success of Iliad, the country’s leading telecoms group. While Niel remains largely out of the public eye, his role in founding and being deputy chairman of Iliad has solidified his place as a defining figure of French business. Here, we take a look at Niel’s rise to the top and how his influence has driven Iliad’s success.
The Early Years
Born in France in 1967, Xavier Niel’s family was of modest means, his father working for France Telecom. From a young age, Niel was fascinated by computers and engineering. Alongside a computer engineer friend, he developed his first online venture at the age of 19––a pornographic text-based experience. His ability to generate revenue from this endeavour, then called “world-net-info,” gave him the impetus to invest in the burgeoning tech environment of France. Of course, this did not come without risks and when business was slow, Niel was arrested for possession of cocaine and served a short jail term. Nevertheless, this initial venture laid the groundwork for his future success.
Creating an Empire
By 1997, Niel was well on his way to creating an empire. The founding of Free––a low-cost ISP––established Niel’s presence as a digital pioneer. Its success reverberated throughout France’s telecoms sector as its revolutionary pricing model undercut the competition. In 2002, Free became the first ISP in France to open up an access network to ADSL subscriptions. It’s no wonder that by 2007, Free had become the third-biggest ISP in the world with an estimated four million subscribers.
Rise to Telecoms Leader
Under Niel’s strategic direction, Free eventually morphed into Iliad––France’s leading telecoms group, providing fixed and mobile telephony services as well as internet access. Along with Free, Iliad also operates SFR, which is one of the country’s most prominent mobile operators. But Iliad is not just a company; it is a family. Niel has established a supportive corporate culture to help nurture the development of his employees, allowing them to become shareholders in the company. He has also actively encouraged input on bettering customer experiences, placing quality of service at the core of the organisation’s values.
Business Endeavours
Alongside Iliad, Niel has been involved in a number of other business ventures. In 2018, he became majority owner of Booking.com (now Booking Holding), an online booking service for travel accommodations. He is also a major investor in major companies such as Le Monde, French online mortgage lender Company and US online fashion company Moda Operandi. Their presence in some of the world’s most well–known markets lays testament to Niel’s vision and ambition.
The Bigger Picture
Running alongside Niel’s business endeavours is his role as a philanthropist. Through his philanthropic organisation, the Kima Ventures, Niel has been inveseted in over 800 different start-ups, recognising the economic roles they can play. Niel has also donated over €200 million to fund the Station F development in Paris, Europe’s largest startup campus. It is Niel’s passion for knowledge and his desire to share it with others that has made Station F a success.
Xavier Niel has undoubtedly been a major driving force behind Iliad’s success. It is his strategic vision that has been integral in its becoming the leading telecoms provider in France and beyond. Niel’s entrepreneurial spirit has also made him a major investor in international companies. But it is his passion for knowledge and desire to share it with others that has made Xavier Niel the man he is today and contributed to Iliad’s success.
