The head of PAI Partners has said the private-equity firm’s 50% stake in French yoghurt maker Yoplait will be put up for sale in the coming days.

Discover B2B Marketing That Performs

Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.

Find out more

Lionel Zinsou, chairman and CEO of PAI Partners, told French radio station Radio BFM that the stake will go on the block “in the next few days”.

He revealed that PAI had already received “a good deal of interest” in the Yoplait stake from trade buyers but did not reveal the names of the suitors.

“It could be a French group, a European group or a group from an emerging country. We don’t know,” adding that the stake may also attract interest from financial investors.

Quizzed on whether he considered Nestle to be the potential favourite for the stake, he replied: “There is no exclusivity.”

GlobalData Strategic Intelligence

US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?

Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.

By GlobalData

Zinsou would not be drawn on the likely value of the transaction but said he expected a deal to be closed by the end of the first quarter of next year.

The remaining 50% of Yoplait’s capital is owned by French dairy group, Sodiaal, which has indicated it has no intention of selling any part of its stake.