Le Monde, the French newspaper of record that’s seeking funds to avert a cash crunch, said Tuesday that it had not received a formal offer from Russian billionaire Gleb Fetisov and wouldn’t consider one if it arrived.
The deadline for offers to recapitalize the newspaper has passed, and new bids aren’t being taken, Le Monde spokeswoman Anne Hartenstein said.
Fetisov, ranked by Forbes magazine as Russia’s 42nd-richest man, said in a statement on his web site Monday that he was bidding for control of the afternoon daily and pledged to make it profitable and not interfere in editorial policies.
(Bloomberg)