Xavier Niel continues to play in the realm of kings. After acquiring the Hôtel Lambert in Paris in 2022 for around €200 million, the founder of Free has now purchased the Pavillon de Musique of Madame du Barry in Louveciennes (Yvelines), the intimate retreat where Louis XV met his famed mistress. According to documents reviewed by Bloomberg, the deal closed at €38.7 million. Niel has not commented on the purchase.
Originally listed at €44 million in 2019, the small palace is best known for its dazzling central salon: sixteen Corinthian pilasters, sculpted white marble, gilded bronze décor, and raised galleries where musicians once played for the royal lovers’ meals.
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Built starting in 1770 from designs by Claude-Nicolas Ledoux and rebuilt identically in the 1930s, the pavilion sits on the heights of Louveciennes, surrounded by a 4-hectare park. Upstairs, some rooms offer unobstructed views of Paris and even the Eiffel Tower.
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Madame du Barry, born Jeanne Bécu, Louis XV’s last official favorite, lived in the residence until the French Revolution. She hosted glittering parties there and was the victim of a famous burglary in 1791. Accused of aiding counter-revolutionary émigrés, she was executed by guillotine in 1793. Her supposed last words to the executioner: “Just one moment more, monsieur.”
On the business side, Niel continues his real-estate push. He is the largest shareholder of Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, holding 15.19% of the capital at the end of 2024, and his son Jules recently joined the supervisory board.
As for the Hôtel Lambert, another architectural treasure, Niel bought it from a Qatari prince for roughly €200 million.
