Groupe Artemis Acquires PONANT
Groupe Artemis, holding company of the Pinault family, which owns auction house Christie’s and controls the company behind such fashion brands as Gucci and Saint-Laurent, has completed an acquisition of French-flagged cruise line PONANT from private equity firm Bridgepoint.
Founded in 1988 and based in Marseille, PONANT offers luxury cruise itineraries all over the world, including polar expeditions.
“In the last three years, together we [Bridgeport] have launched and financed new ships, opened new offices in Australia and China, and acquired a leading player in the American cultural cruise market.
Today we are entering a new phase with a long-term shareholder who, like Bridgeport, shares our vision and ambitions for PONANT as a global player in the high-end cruise market,” said Jean-Emmanuel Sauvé, co-founder and CEO of PONANT.
