Xavier Niel is a French businessman, the self-made billionaire Founder and Executive Chairman of Iliad S.A. (Euronext: ILD), the dominant fixed and mobile telecommunications and internet service provider in France and Italy. His career is rooted in technology, entrepreneurial audacity, and radical price disruption.

Niel did not attend university. His philosophical approach centers on scale, disruption (pioneering the ultra-low-cost telecom model), and long-term commitment to technological excellence and consumer value. He founded his first venture, a Minitel-based erotic chat service, before launching Free (ISP) in the 1990s.

• Iliad S.A. (Founder & Chairman): The core publicly traded asset, a major provider of fixed and mobile telecom services (brands include Free).
• Telecom Pioneer: His success is built on scale technological disruption and dominating the domestic market for affordable, no-frills telecom services (a major structural shift in the European telecom sector).
• Investment Strategy: His philosophy is rooted in long-term investment in infrastructure assets and strategic acquisition in technology and media.
• Venture Capital: He is a major investor in technology startups (founder of Kima Ventures and Station F).

Xavier Niel's strategic genius was his commitment to eliminating market friction. He founded Free (ISP) in the 1990s, offering unprecedented low prices for internet access. His structural contribution is immense: pioneering the modern low-cost telecom model (launching Free Mobile in 2012, which instantly triggered a massive price war across France). His aggressive cost-cutting and innovation transformed the French telecom sector.

He remains Founder and Executive Chairman of Iliad, guiding the company's continuous expansion and technological modernization. His wealth is secured by the colossal, long-term, stable profitability of the global telecommunications and infrastructure sectors.

Xavier Niel's social impact stems from Iliad's role in pioneering affordable telecom services, accelerating digital inclusion and economic access for millions of consumers in France and Italy. His immense philanthropic contribution includes founding Station F, the world's largest startup incubator in Paris, and funding 42, a free, innovative computer science school, significantly supporting entrepreneurship and technology education.

His personal philanthropy supports various community and educational initiatives.

Xavier Niel maintains the professional, pragmatic style of a corporate executive. His attire is consistently formal and high-quality, favoring tailored suits. His aesthetic reflects serious authority and stability, typical of a leader in the global technology sector.

Residing in Paris, France, his luxury is the immense security and financial reward derived from his multi-billion dollar fortune. His life is dedicated to technology innovation, strategic management, and entrepreneurial mentorship.