The Moscow Times
The founder and main shareholder of Moscow-based private equity firm ICT Group, Alexander Nesis, is part of a consortium of investors that has bought a 33 percent stake in Greek gambling monopoly Opap in that country’s largest ever privatization.
Emma Delta investment fund, which represents the consortium, bought the stake from the Greek government this week in a deal worth 650 million euros ($862 million), the Financial Times reported.
Emma Delta will effectively own a controlling stake in Opap, Europe’s largest betting firm, because 56.4 percent of the company’s shares are in free float, Vedomosti reported Wednesday.
The Greek government are selling Opap due to the country’s ongoing financial crisis, which forced the authorities to privatize.
Greek businessman Dimitris Melassanidis is the deal’s largest financial contributor, paying 157 million euros, while Nesis, MEF Holdings and Slovak businessman Pavel Komarek will pay 145 million euros each.