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West African nonprofits allege that major Universal Music Group stakeholder Vincent Bolloré has built his fortune through abusive practices in the region. They’re urging the label’s artists to do their research before making charitable donations.
Universal Music Group (UMG) represents some of the world’s biggest artists today, including Kendrick Lamar, his buddy Drake, Ariana Grande, Sabrina Carpenter, and Rhianna.
Many of the music corporation’s global names, past and present, have travelled to West Africa over the years as ambassadors of humanitarian and anti-corruption efforts. Most notably, Rhianna has helped to raise some $2bn in Senegal for improved education and has consistently called for world leaders to donate aid, while U2 frontman Bono has campaigned against disease and poverty on the continent for literal decades.
These altruistic endeavours, among many others from UMG-affiliated artists, are undoubtedly well intentioned, but it’s transpired that much of the charity raised may have been fuelling a nefarious empire unbeknownst to talent and consumers alike.
Vincent Bolloré, a major stakeholder – with 28% of UMG shares – is currently at the heart of corruption trials, sexual abuse allegations, and a blanket criminal complaint filed by 11 West African nonprofit organisations based in Guinea, Togo, and Cameroon, among other nations.
‘Vincent Bolloré stole money from our communities and used it to build an empire,’ asserted Jean-Jacques Lumumba, the chair of the watchdog outfit called Restitution for Africa (RAF), in a statement to Fast Company.
The Bolloré family’s industrial acumen was established centuries ago, with origins in the manufacturing of Bible and cigarette paper. The generational wealth established globally has seen the family since expand into industries in West Africa including palm oil, shipping, and rubber. It also gained what the courts called ‘effective control’ over Vivendi in the year 2000 – the media conglomerate that owned UMG until 2021.
It’s the worst kept secret that, despite making UMG public-owned, Vincent’s wealth remains directly tied to the music corporation, and he still has massive influence over its ownership structure, strategic partnerships, and potential acquisitions. You may recall Kanye West, following a familiar public crash out, tweeted in 2020 that he was going to take personal grievances above label execs and straight to Vincent. Rare insight from Ye, that.
So, you’ve Vincent’s shadow still looming large over UMG while the company’s artists are using their own platforms and wealth to fight perceived injustices. In reality, a powerful billionaire may have been undermining these efforts all the way and continuing to build his own fortune at the expense of the impoverished.
