This is the outrageous moment a self-made French billionaire turned up to a supermarket car park after he was challenged to a fight by a disgruntled customer.
Xavier Niel, owner of Free telecoms group and worth around £8billion, filmed himself outside Lidl in Marseille on Friday after an online troll goaded him to meet him there for a ‘one-against-one’ fight.
X user Fuego 7 said he was frustrated by Niel’s Free internet service, which he claims was providing low speeds and hampering his Call of Duty experience as a result, The Telegraph reports.
In May, the social media user wrote: ‘Xavier Niel I hate you I propose a one-v-one in front of the Lidl on Rue Sainte in Marseille.’
Showing he was still more than up for the encounter – albeit six months after the original post – 57-year-old Niel posted a video on X standing by the store’s entrance and shouting: ‘I’m here! I’m waiting for you!
‘Where are you, come on! Do you want to meet in the car park?’
But his online troll proved he was more bark than bite after responding to Niel in all capitals that he was feeling unwell and had only been ‘joking’.
Fuego 7 said ‘no sorry I was joking,’ before adding: ‘I would have liked to but 34.2 temperature plus stomach ache plus headache sorry I give up.’
This is the outrageous moment a self-made French billionaire Xavier Niel turned up to a supermarket car park after he was challenged to a fight by a disgruntled customer
Showing he was still more than up for the encounter – albeit six months after the original post – 57-year-old Niel posted a video on X standing by the store’s entrance and shouting: ‘I’m here! I’m waiting for you!’
In somewhat of a tongue-in-cheek response, Lidl’s social media team decided to join in on the action posting: ‘Please come and get the gentleman who has been tweeting since this morning in front of the store on Rue Sainte in Marseille.’
The telecomms billionaire founded internet service provider Free in 1999.
His wide portfolio includes co-ownership of French newspaper Le Monde and co-ownership of the rights on the song, My Way.
He is also the owner of Monaco Telecom, Salt Mobile and Eir.
Niel is married to Delphine Arnault, chief executive of Dior and executive vice president at Louis Vuitton.
Her father is multi-billionaire Bernard Arnault, one of the world’s richest men.
Niel zoomed in on the address of the Lidl store to further prove to his critic he was there and waiting for the ‘fight’
Niel is married to Delphine Arnault, chief executive of Dior and executive vice president at Louis Vuitton