To Become a Billionaire in France, Try Going to Jail
Xavier Niel doles out advice gleaned from a career spanning sex shops, cellular networks and paparazzi photos.
Illustration: Charlotte Ager/Bloomberg
The 131-year-old Olympia in Paris has seen performances from the Beatles and Rolling Stones to Serge Gainsbourg and Edith Piaf. But tech billionaires swathed in Louis Vuitton have so far been a rare sight.
Xavier Niel’s How to Become a Billionaire talk gave the music hall something new last month. The 57-year-old packed the 2,000-seat theater, selling tickets for as little as €2, and drawing 20-somethings from the tech industry as well as members of the French establishment. French Army Minister Sebastien Lecornu was spotted in the audience, as was Centerview’s Matthieu Pigasse and TV presenter David Pujadas.