How A Billionaire Weaponized Your Favorite Musicians

The best kept secret in the global music industry is a shadowy billionaire who hides behind the biggest artists while he funds far-right extremism

Think about some of your favorite musicians. Hold those names for just a moment as you read this. I was told not to write this because it might be “too niche.”

But I’ve learned that justice doesn’t only matter when it’s convenient or popular—it matters especially when those who seek it are silenced. So let me tell you a story about how the global music industry is being used to whitewash exploitation—and why I’m asking you to take action by the end of this article. Let’s Address This.

Vincent Bolloré [credit: Getty Images]

The Billionaire in the Shadows

His name is Vincent Bolloré. You likely haven’t heard of him—but his companies are everywhere. From African shipping ports to French television, from global ad campaigns to the world’s most influential music labels, Bolloré has an almost dynastic control over media and information.

Through his firm Bolloré SE and holding company Vivendi, Bolloré quietly built one of the world’s most powerful media empires. Still have your favorite musicians in mind? Bolloré was the largest shareholder in Universal Music Group—home to artists like Drake, Rihanna, Billie Eilish, Chappell Roan, and Doechii. He controls Canal+, France’s dominant TV channel, and a channel that has relentlessly pushed far-right propaganda and platformed sexual predators. His advertising firm, Havas, which is led by one of his sons, handles branding for some of the biggest corporations on Earth.

And underneath this empire lies disturbing truths.

The Corruption Trail

Vincent Bolloré and his companies have been investigated for corruption in West Africa. Why? Well, they allegedly offered political consulting to candidates in Togo and Guinea—then received multi-million-euro port concessions after those candidates won. The deals gave Bolloré control of vital trade routes. The French courts moved to prosecute. Bolloré confessed and in a stunning turn, the court rejected his plea bargain—he is now expected to stand trial.

But justice doesn’t end with the courts.

Bolloré has used his power not only to enrich himself, but to manipulate public discourse, all while lurking in the shadows and avoiding exposure. His media outlets increasingly broadcast right-wing radical content. His publishing companies have promoted candidates with extremist views. And when he gets a bit of bad news, he sues journalists, censors articles, and suppresses any dissent that comes his way.

A new accountability campaign, the Global Billionaire Accountability Project (ExposeDirtyMoney.com), launched this year to shine a light on Bolloré’s dealings. It calls for the music industry to cut ties with his corrupt wealth. And this is where you, the music and media consumer can play a meaningful role.

Why Music Fans Should Care

If you listen to music you should care about who profits while you stream.

Billionaires like Bolloré bank on our apathy. They need us to not care. When we turn a blind eye to the havoc they wreak in other parts of the world, we provide cover for their assault on human rights, social justice and the freedoms that we hold dear.

Because here’s the reality: billions have been made off the backs of African artists, Black artists, and global creatives—while the people profiting at the top have been quietly fueling extremism, abusing legal systems, and cutting corrupt deals with authoritarian regimes. Bolloré built his fortune extracting wealth from Africa—and then invested that fortune into the culture economy.

That’s not just business. That’s laundering through entertainment.

It’s not enough to love the art. We have to ask: who owns the infrastructure? Who controls the narrative? And what do those people do with the power we give them?

Where We Go From Here

If this were just one shady billionaire, that would be bad enough. But this is a system where artists are marketed as voices of the people, while the executives above them attack, censor and exploit those very people.

We’ve seen what happens when money, unchecked, writes its own moral code.

And now, we’re seeing what happens when artists, activists, and fans fight back. And we do that by collectively raising our voices and getting behind the Global Billionaire Accountability Project. Take a moment to sign the petition and add your voice.

Not because it’s trendy. Not because it’s viral.

But because justice demands transparency. Because art deserves integrity. Because Black voices and African economies should not be exploited as props for European billionaires who made their fortune off corruption. We cannot build a future of justice while looking away from all the injustices that fuel our culture.

Conclusion

Unjust actions demand just consequences. This movement is about saying: if you unjustly profit from my streams, you should not be immune from accountability. If you wield global power, you do not get to silence dissent with a legal complaint and a checkbook, while remaining in the shadows and preserving your precious brand.

Vincent Bolloré has the wealth, the lawyers, and the platforms. But we have the truth.

Let’s use it.

✍🏽 Sign the petition.
🔗 Share this article.
🎶 Demand that the UMG cut ties and stop cashing in on Bolloré’s dirty money.