By Mathieu Rosemain
PARIS, Dec 9 (Reuters) – Facebook-owner Meta holds at least a 3% stake in EssilorLuxottica, a board director at the European firm behind Ray-Ban glasses said on Tuesday.
The Meta stake has previously been reported from sources but not confirmed by either firm. The pair are working closely together on Ray-Ban Meta AI-powered glasses.
Jose Gonzalo, executive director at French state-owned investment bank Bpifrance and an independent director on EssilorLuxottica’s board, said that number could rise.
“It’s at least 3%,” he said, adding it was possibly up to 5% although likely at the lower end of that range. He added that “nothing is stopping them from continuing to grow (their stake)”.
Meta did not immediately reply to a request seeking comment. EssilorLuxottica was not immediately available for a comment.
Gonzalo added that Meta was not currently seeking a seat on the board.
“They are not represented on the board, they have not asked for representation on the board,” he said.
(Reporting by Mathieu Rosemain;Additional reporting from Elisa Anzolin and Tassilo Hummel; Editing by Louise Heavens)
