French Billionaire Defiant Amid Authors’ Exodus from Top Publisher

French media mogul Vincent Bollore has pledged to replenish his Grasset publishing house following the departure of 170 writers, who accused the company of political influence. The crisis has sparked concern within France’s literary community, prompting President Emmanuel Macron to comment on the situation. Bollore, who leads the Hachette group, announced his intent to recruit new talent to replace the authors who have left the esteemed subsidiary Grasset, citing a dispute over editorial direction.

The walkout was triggered by the resignation of Grasset’s long-serving chief executive, Olivier Nora, whose 26-year tenure ended in controversy. Authors blame Bollore, a known conservative, for steering the publisher further right and undermining its independence. In a recent editorial by the Journal du Dimanche, a publication he owns, Bollore expressed bewilderment at the backlash, asserting that the exodus would benefit Grasset by allowing fresh voices to take center stage.

“Grasset will continue, and those who are leaving will allow new authors to be published, promoted, recognized, and appreciated,” Bollore stated. He attributed the protests to “a small caste that believes itself above everything and everyone, and that co-opts and supports itself,” while defending his ideological stance as that of a Christian Democrat.

The authors who exited Grasset, including prominent thinkers like Bernard Henri-Levy and acclaimed writers Virginie Despentes and Sorj Chalandon, issued an open letter condemning the “unacceptable attack on editorial independence.” They described themselves as refusing to be “hostages in an ideological war that seeks to impose authoritarianism everywhere in culture and the media,” emphasizing their desire to retain ownership of their intellectual work.

President Macron, addressing the Paris Book Festival, highlighted the significance of diverse perspectives in publishing. “I think it is very important to express and uphold editorial diversity, respect for authors, the history of these publishing houses, and their identities,” he said. Grasset, established in 1907, has a legacy of publishing notable figures such as Marcel Proust, Irene Nemirovsky, Francois Mauriac, and Andre Malraux. It joined the Hachette group in 1954, and under Nora’s leadership, it became a hub for authors like Nobel laureate Han Kang and Isabel Allende.

Bollore criticized Nora’s tenure, pointing to a 25% decline in the publisher’s turnover in 2025 while noting the CEO’s salary surged from €830,000 to €1 million. The billionaire’s acquisition of Hachette in 2023 was celebrated by many conservatives as a corrective measure against perceived left-wing bias in French media. Despite the upheaval, Bollore remains resolute in his vision for the publisher’s future.