Mohed Altrad ( ar, محمد الطراد) is a
French-
Syrian
Syrians ( ar, سُورِيُّون, ''Sūriyyīn'') are an Eastern Mediterranean ethnic group indigenous to the Levant. They share common Levantine Semitic roots. The cultural and linguistic heritage of the Syrian people is a blend of both indi ...
billionaire businessman, rugby chairman and writer, born c. March 1948.
He was born to a very young mother
and his
Bedouin
The Bedouin, Beduin, or Bedu (; , singular ) are nomadic Arab tribes who have historically inhabited the desert regions in the Arabian Peninsula, North Africa, the Levant, and Mesopotamia. The Bedouin originated in the Syrian Desert and A ...
father gave him away to his grandparents at age four following his mother's death.
In 2015, Altrad was named
Ernst & Young World Entrepreneur Of The Year.
Background
Mohed Altrad spent part of his youth in
Raqqa, Syria.
He passed the
baccalaureate Baccalaureate may refer to:
* ''Baccalauréat'', a French national academic qualification
* Bachelor's degree, or baccalaureate, an undergraduate academic degree
* English Baccalaureate, a performance measure to assess secondary schools in England ...
at 17, and thanks to his high scores, was awarded a scholarship of 200 francs from the Syrian government to study in
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
. He obtained a diploma from
Paris Dauphine University
Paris Dauphine University - PSL (french: Université Paris-Dauphine, also known as Paris Dauphine - PSL or Dauphine - PSL) is a public research university based in Paris, France. It is one of the 13 universities formed by the division of the ancie ...
(MIAGE 1975).
He is unsure of his day of birth, so he recently "picked a date from a hat" in order to celebrate one.
Career
Altrad began working for the
Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, from which he left to buy a
scaffolding
Scaffolding, also called scaffold or staging, is a temporary structure used to support a work crew and materials to aid in the construction, maintenance and repair of buildings, bridges and all other man-made structures. Scaffolds are widely use ...
company in France in 1985. This acquisition morphed into the present-day Altrad Group, employer of over 22,000 people, and involved in the scaffolding and cement-mixing industries. Altrad remains chairman of his namesake company, as well as the rugby club
Montpellier Hérault Rugby
Montpellier Hérault Rugby (; oc, Montpelhièr Erau Rugbi Club) is a French professional rugby union club, based in Montpellier, Occitanie and named after the Hérault river. The club competes in the top level of the French league system, t ...
. He has also penned three acclaimed novels.
In December 2022, Altrad received an 18-months suspended sentence and a €50,000 fine after he and
French Rugby Federation
The French Rugby Federation (french: Fédération Française de Rugby (''FFR'')) is the governing body for rugby union in France. It is responsible for the France national rugby union team, French national team and the National Rugby League (Franc ...
president
Bernard Laporte
Bernard Laporte (born 1 July 1964) is a rugby player, coach and former French Secretary of State for Sport. From 1999 to 2007, Laporte was the head coach of the France national team. In 2011, he became the head coach at Toulon, after Philippe Sa ...
were found guilty of corruption relating to Altrad Group rugby shirt sponsorship deals.
Bibliography
Novels
* ''Badawi'' (Actes Sud), 2002
* ''L’hypothèse de Dieu'' (Actes Sud), 2006
* ''La Promesse d’Annah'' (Actes Sud), 2012
Essays
* ''Stratégie de groupe'' (Chotard), 1990.
* ''Écouter, Harmoniser, Diriger'' (Presses de la Cité) 1992.
* ''Le management d’un groupe international : vers la pensée multiple'' (Eska) with Carole Richard, 2008.
References
External links
# (rus
Его готовили в пастухи, а он тайком сбегал в школу. История сирийского бедуина, ставшего французским миллиардером
{{DEFAULTSORT:Altrad, Mohed
1948 births
Living people
French people of Syrian descent
French rugby union chairmen and investors
French billionaires
Syrian billionaires
Montpellier Hérault Rugby
University of Montpellier alumni
Paris Dauphine University alumni
Syrian businesspeople