Who is the Israeli at the center of a 2.8b euro deal in Brazil?
The Israeli businessman sold 40% of his company's shares to the Vivendi media giant.
By The Associated Press and Chagi Amit, The Marker Tags: Israel newsShaul Shani, Chairman of the Brazilian telecommunications company GVT, signed a 2.8 billion euro contract this past weekend with the French Vivendi media company.
In the last weeks, the Israeli businessman found himself fulfilling every company shareholder's dream - he was in the center of a battle between two media giants - Vivendi and Telefonica - for 40 per cent of GVT's shares, the Brazilian telecommunications company Shani founded in 1999.
The French media and entertainment giant said in a statement late Friday that it has acquired 37.9 per cent of GVT's share capital from its controlling shareholders and other third parties, and has also entered into call option agreements to buy another 19.6 per cent.
The offer values GVT at 2.8 billion euros, Vivendi said, trumping Telefonica's 2.7-billion euro bid earlier this month.
GVT was founded by Shani, the company's Chairman, and by Amos Genish, the company's CEO. GVT was immediately considered a success story since it quickly made a profit, even withstanding the Brazilian currency crisis.
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