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Louis-Dreyfus Mortgaged Company to Secure $1B Loan

Loan was used to buy 16.6% stake in company from family members

October 1, 2020

Margarita Louis-Dreyfus, the billionaire at the helm of the eponymous agricultural trading house, pledged her controlling stake as security for a $1.03 billion loan from Credit Suisse Group AG in early 2019, reports Bloomberg.

The pledge, revealed in a corporate filing last month, was made for a loan used to buy a 16.6% stake in the company from family members.

In exchange, Akira BV, the main holding company for Louis-Dreyfus’s stake in the commodity trading house, put up all its shares as backing for the funds.

The steep collateral requirement shows how her ability to keep ownership of the trading house is coming under strain because of commitments to other family members and a downturn in profitability.

If Louis-Dreyfus can’t repay or refinance the loan, Credit Suisse could take control of the 169-year-old business.

Read the full report at Bloomberg.

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