Jean-Marie Messier (born 13 December 1956[1]) is a French businessman who was chairman and chief executive of the multinational media conglomerate Vivendi (formerly Vivendi Universal) until 2002. He is also frequently referred to by nicknames such as "J2M" and "J6M", but most notably as “ The Man who Tried to Buy the World” which was coined by Jo Johnson in his biography of Messier reflecting on corporate greed and monopolizing the industry.
Early life and education
Jean-Marie Messier was born in Grenoble, France, the son of an accountant.[2]
He studied at the École Polytechnique from 1976 to 1980, and then at the École nationale d'administration between 1980 and 1982. He was refused sponsorship by Total to study at Harvard Business School.[2]