PPF Group

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1992–2000

In March 1992 the registered name of the management company was shortened to První privatizační fond (First Privatisation Fund), a month later an extraordinary general meeting elected Popovič to its board.

Following the advertising campaign at the outset of the first wave of voucher privatisation, PPF funds gathered 1.4% of all investment points and PPF became the eleventh-largest management company in terms of acquired privatisation points. In the second wave, which took place after the dissolution of Czechoslovakia on 31 December 1992, PPF funds gathered 2.1% of all investment points (ninth-largest group).

In 1994 shareholders of the four largest funds from the first wave agreed a merger, the smallest Regional Investment Fund was later liquidated. In 1996 the merged fund acquired a 20% stake in Česká pojišťovna (ČP), the largest Czech insurance company. ČP had a profitable insurance business, however its two subsidiary banks were losing billions of Czech crowns, decreasing the ownership equity of ČP.

On 17 June 1996 the first wave fund was transformed to a standard holding corporation (PPF IH). The transformation took place just two weeks before 1 July 1996, when the Act No. 142/1996 made the transition to a standard corporation much more complicated. As a result, PPF IH was no longer subject to the regulation of investment funds. To push the transformation through, PPF used cross-shareholdings. For example, the industrial company TMP, in which PPF was the largest shareholder, acquired in March 1996 shares of the fund, only to sell them for a lower price after the extraordinary general meeting losing CZK 96 million ($2.5 million).

On 19 June 1996 the Minister of Finance Ivan Kočárník hosted a key meeting of ČP shareholders, the state's National Property Fund (NPF), PPF, and three banks, IPB, ČSOB and KB. NPF, which held a 30% stake in ČP, was represented by the Minister of Privatization Roman Češka (of the party ODA), the governor of the Czech National Bank, Josef Tošovský was also present. It was agreed that PPF should manage ČP, and IPB would manage its ailing subsidiary banks. PPF and IPB also got an option to purchase ČSOB shares, subject to the condition that the audited ČP profit for 1997 was positive. In 1998 PPF and IPB exercised that option and the state lost its majority in ČP (the state was the largest shareholder in ČSOB and KB banks).

On 21 March 2000, Libor Procházka (IPB) agreed with Petr Kellner to sell ČP shares controlled by IPB to the Dutch-based company CESPO. The contractual penalty amounted to 75% of the purchase price (CZK 1.6 billion). IPB transferred the shares too late and therefore CESPO paid only 25% of the agreed price. As a result, PPF had a majority interest in ČP. IPB went into forced administration in June 2000 and was sold to ČSOB. ČSOB later took PPF to the court, claiming the price of ČP shares was too low, it lost the case.

In September 2000 the registered capital of PPF IH was decreased by 90% and CZK 1.77 billion ($45 million) was distributed among its shareholders (CZK 500 per share, meaning CZK 15,000 per voucher book).

2000–present

Jiří Šmejc became a shareholder of PPF Group N.V., registered in the Netherlands in 2005, acquiring a 5% share, with Ladislav Bartoníček and Jean-Pascal Duvieusart later becoming the remaining two shareholders.

PPF Group bought TV Nova, the first private TV station in the Czech Republic, in 2002. Then in 2005, after stabilising TV Nova, the group sold TV Nova to the media group CME, and later agreed with CME to buy the station back in 2019.

In 2008, PPF Group and Italian Generali founded an insurance holding company, into which they placed their insurance assets. As of 2013, the Group owned assets worth EUR 22.113 billion, including various assets from banking and insurance to real estate, energy, agriculture and the biggest Russian electronics consumer chain, Eldorado.

Along with J&T and Daniel Křetínský, PPF Group founded (Energetický a průmyslový holding - Energy & Industrial Holding) in 2009. This was a vehicle to invest in the energy and industry sector. PPF Group held a 40% share in the company. In August 2012 PPF Group converted part of its debt for EPH shares and increased its share to 44.4%. In June 2014 PPF Group sold its stake for EUR 1.1 billion.

In 2011, along with another Czech billionaire Karel Komárek (KKCG), the group acquired control of the Czech lottery company Sazka. Working together, both companies were able to stabilise Sazka and help it to recover. In October 2012, PPF Group sold its 50% share in Sazka to KKCG.

In 2011 PPF Group founded a new bank in 2011 called - Air Bank, specialising in online banking. Then, towards the end of 2012, SOTIO became a member of PPF Group. SOTIO is a biotechnology company developing new Active Cellular Immunotherapy ("ACI") for the treatment of cancer and autoimmune diseases.

In 2013 Jiří Šmejc sold his 5% share in PPF Group to Petr Kellner. As part of the transaction Mr Smejc acquired a 13,4% share in Home Credit N.V. and Air Bank.

In November 2013, PPF Group acquired a 66% share in the Czech telecommunications company Telefónica O2 Czech Republic for 63,6 billion CZK ($3.2 billion). In August 2015 the general shareholders meeting authorized the division of the company into O2 – a mobile service provider, and CETIN, a telecommunications infrastructure and network company.

In March 2018, PPF Group agreed to buy Telenor's operations in Southeast Europe, namely Bulgaria (Telenor Bulgaria), Hungary (Telenor Hungary, Telenor Common Operation), Montenegro (Telenor Montenegro) and Serbia (Telenor Serbia) for a sum of EUR 2.8 billion.

In September 2019, PPF Group acquired a 19.2% stake in biopharmaceutical firm Autolus Therapeutics, making it the company's biggest shareholder. In October 2019, AT&T agreed to sell its stake in broadcasting company Central European Media Enterprises (CME) to PPF.

In May 2022, Renáta Kellnerová announced the appointment of Jiří Šmejc as the Group's Chief Executive Officer, who assumed his post on 15 June 2022.

PPF Group

PPF Group

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History

1992–2000

2000–present

Holdings

Controlled businesses

Joint ventures and minority investments

Philanthropic activities

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About PPF Group

About PPF Group

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Related journals

Live room · 1 here

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History

1992–2000

2000–present

Holdings

Controlled businesses

Joint ventures and minority investments

Philanthropic activities

Related journals