Hi, just leave on work now. Sorry, it's a bit loud.

Um, basically, so I was thinking we could get Macies tonight. Had a big Mac on my mind all day, and delivery fee on the app is now from 99P. So you win? Of course you are. Love you. Bye! Exclusively on the McDonald's app. 18 plus, service fee and small order fee may apply. Participating restaurants. Serving times and teas and seas apply. The views expressed on this podcast are those of the participants, not of Rourger's news. I think the reason for the way that we don't do time on air. I did all right. It's not a question financial. It's a question of capacity managerial. We can't... It's not to pass 30 million to 60 million of debt, which me inquieter. which had enormously, it's a question of capacity managerial. It's not to pass 30,000 to 60 million to debt

that's quite a lot of 15,000 collaborators

to 20,000 collaborators who me inquieted.

Because I never had not,

at the moment where it had to take the decision,

the structure managerial for assuming a such charge,

a tell responsibility.

And the word responsibility, you know,

it's the word that's the most important for me. Was that a bird? Was it a plane? No, it was French tycoon Patrick Drahi, whose international telecom empire, Altice, is now huddling back to Earth. In that clip, he was discussing his decision not to bid for American rival Ty Moorne Cable in 2015, saying that it wasn't taking on debt that deterred him, but a commitment to managerial responsibility.

Welcome back to the views room. I'm Jonathan Guilford. Drahi has not been particularly averse

to a debt-fueled run of deals that expanded his telecom operations in the US and France. Now, though, the bill is coming due, with interest rates much higher, and the man likened to American cable mogul counterpart John Malone is wrestling with creditors. This week, I'm joined by columnists Liam Proud and Pierre Branson, who have been following Drah's travails over the years. We'll discuss the businessman's history,

what's gone awry, and what the future likely holds for one of France's titans of industry.

Stay tuned for this week's Views Room, the podcast from Reuters Breaking Views, where columnists

discuss the big stories of the week. I'm coming to you from New York City.

Liam, Pierre, welcome back to the viewers room. Hey.

Hi.

So Patrick Drahi is a fascinating figure, a particularly creative and aggressive empire builder in telecoms and media in France and beyond.

I mean, Liam, your recent huge piece on him likened Drahie to the American tycoon,

John Malone, who was instrumental in the initial telecom boom and then bubble, I suppose,

in the United States.

Where exactly, though, did D'Rahi come from?

...