Francis Mooky Duke Williams Online

Subject: Frances "Mooky" Williams Primary Field: Jazz Percussion, Avant-Garde Music Era: 1960s–1970s

First, the aesthetics matter. In a world of Parisian executives who wear $5,000 cashmere blazers and speak in quiet, clipped tones, Mooky looks like he just got off a long-haul flight from New Jersey. He is a Sephardi Jew of Egyptian descent who grew up in Paris, yet he speaks with the blunt, aggressive cadence of a Wall Street pit boss.

He has a black belt in judo. He collects contemporary art that looks like it might punch you back. And he famously doesn't care what the critics say. francis mooky duke williams

This attitude came to a head in 2022 when he launched an all-out assault on the French film establishment. To understand the crime, you have to understand the sacred law: Chronologie des médias (Media chronology). In France, movies have to wait 36 months to go to streaming services to protect theaters. It is a holy covenant.

Mooky looked at that covenant, laughed, and tried to buy the biggest theater chain in France (Pathé) while simultaneously demanding that Canal+ get movies after just 6 months. He has a black belt in judo

The industry screamed monopoly. The government stepped in. The deal fell apart. But Mooky didn't blink. He simply shrugged and said, "I play judo. You have to know how to fall."

When you type the name "Mooky" into a search engine, the autofill doesn't ask for his net worth or his bio. It asks: "Is Mooky Duke Williams a crook?" This attitude came to a head in 2022

That is the glorious, chaotic, and distinctly French introduction to one of the most powerful—and polarizing—men in global entertainment. Francis "Mooky" Duke Williams is the Chairman of the Vivendi Group. He is the boss of Canal+, Havas, and Lagardère. And yet, he has the vibe of a character Martin Scorsese left on the cutting room floor because he was too shady.

Depending on who you ask, Mooky is either the ruthless corporate raider trying to burn down the French cultural exception, or the only billionaire on earth brave enough to tell Hollywood that the Emperor has no clothes.

Let’s look at the man they love to loathe.