French Billionaire Families Partner for Cycling Sponsorship Deal

French billionaire families, the Saade and Mulliez clans, have teamed up to co-sponsor the country's biggest cycling team, Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale, with CMA CGM SA contributing €15 million to the team's €40 million annual budget. The alliance aims to raise the profile of their transport and media empire. The team will be renamed Decathlon CMA CGM and compete in the Tour de France.

French shipping tycoon Rodolphe Saade and the Mulliez family have entered into a significant sponsorship deal, co-sponsoring Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale, one of France's premier cycling teams. The agreement, which will run for five years, sees CMA CGM SA, a shipping and logistics giant owned by the Saade family, contribute €15 million annually to the team's €40 million budget [1].

The Saade clan, with a combined net worth of approximately $34 billion, aims to elevate the profile of their transport and media empire through this sponsorship. CMA CGM, which operates in 160 countries and has revenues of $55 billion, will continue to sponsor AG2R La Mondiale, which is set to be taken over by Decathlon, controlled by the Mulliez family, later this year [2].

The new team, named Decathlon CMA CGM, will compete in the Tour de France and other major cycling events. The collaboration is part of a strategic plan that includes the creation of a women's team for the 2027 season and the continuation of successful junior and development teams. The team manager, Dominique Serieys, expressed the ambition to achieve top-five status in the men's WorldTour and compete for the highest level of global recognition.

The sponsorship deal underscores the growing influence of French billionaire families in the sports sector, as seen with their previous investments in football and cultural institutions. The partnership between Decathlon and CMA CGM is expected to bring significant financial and operational benefits to the cycling team, positioning it as a major contender in international cycling events.

References:
[1] https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-07-21/french-billionaire-families-team-up-in-cycling-sponsorship-deal
[2] https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/decathlon-adds-shipping-giant-cma-cgm-as-title-sponsor-in-step-towards-super-team-status/