Deals
Hutchison Said to Revive Merger Talks With Wind in Italy
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Billionaire Li Ka-shing’s Hutchison Whampoa Ltd. and VimpelCom Ltd. have revived talks to merge their wireless assets in Italy, according to people familiar with the negotiations.
Hutchison wants its 3 Italia unit to control any enlarged entity, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the discussions are private. VimpelCom prefers a 50-50 partnership with its Wind Telecomunicazioni SpA unit, and the two sides aren’t close to an agreement, the people said. La Repubblica newspaper reported yesterday that Wind and 3 Italia are in advanced talks to merge.