Drahi’s Road From French Village to Cable Tycoon Eyeing U.S.

Patrick Drahi’s Altice SA agreed to acquire control of Suddenlink Communications, the seventh-largest U.S. cable company, in a $9.1 billion transaction marking the French-Israeli businessman’s first foray in the U.S.

With a net worth of $19.4 billion according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, Drahi’s gathered European phone and cable assets largely away from the public eye. The 51-year-old has turned a first venture in southern France two decades ago into domestic cable and phone powerhouse Numericable-SFR SAS, starting with a series of deals in the 1990s.