Kretinsky given permission for buyout offer Fnac Darty

The French financial regulator AMF has approved Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky’s takeover bid for Fnac Darty. This brings the acquisition one step closer to completion.

To be completed this year

Kretinsky aims to increase his control over Fnac Darty through his investment vehicle EP Groupe. He currently owns 28.5% of the shares but seeks to become the majority shareholder through the public takeover bid. The entrepreneur also controls the Casino supermarket group in France.

The regulator declared the project “compliant” on Thursday. Fnac Darty’s board of directors had previously supported the bid. With the AMF’s approval, the process can now formally proceed.

According to the current schedule, the takeover bid is set to open in the second quarter of 2026. The deal is expected to close in the second half of the year. Fnac Darty is also on the right track: in the first quarter, revenue grew by 1% to 2.31 billion euros. The group benefited, among other things, from stable sales of electronics and household appliances.