Billion-dollar corporate empires rarely crumble quietly. When aging founders hold the reins for decades, the transition battle isn't just about succession—it's an all-out corporate war. That reality is playing out behind closed doors at the Castel Group, the French beverage giant generating over €6.5 billion in annual sales and employing roughly 40,000 people worldwide.
If you've ever bought a bottle of French wine or enjoyed a cold beer across Africa—where Castel stands as the second-largest producer of beer and soft drinks—you're looking at a product of this sprawling empire. Right now, though, the people running the show are too busy fighting each other to enjoy the profits.
Behind the Split at Castel Group
The battle lines inside the Castel family feud are sharp. On one side, you have Romy Castel, daughter of the nonagenarian founder Pierre Castel, alongside his nephew Alain Castel. On the other side stands Gregory Clerc, a former tax lawyer appointed as CEO in 2023, backed by other factions within the family and key board members.
The core issue is simple and brutal: who gets to control the future of the multi-billion-dollar enterprise. Romy and Alain argue that Clerc is attempting to hijack the empire, shifting power away from blood relatives toward an outside executive. Clerc counters that his leadership is essential for modernizing an opaque governance structure that desperately needs professional oversight.
Legal skirmishes have spanned multiple jurisdictions, most notably hinging on decisions in Singapore, where the core holding and asset management company Investment Beverage Business Management (IBBM) is based. Courts have been flooded with injunctions, contested votes, and extraordinary general meetings where rival factions claim majorities.
Why Corporate Governance Is Breaking Down
Family-run conglomerates face a ticking clock. When a founder like Pierre Castel reaches an advanced age without a clean, undisputed succession plan, chaos follows. Generations clash. Founders hoard authority, and their heirs realize too late that corporate bylaws leave them vulnerable to outside professionals or opposing faction alliances.
Look at the mechanics of the dispute. Back in late 2025, CEO Gregory Clerc removed Alain Castel from key operating boards like Cassiopée and D.F. Holding. That maneuver was designed to curb direct family interference. Instead, it lit a fuse. The dissident heirs responded by trying to purge Clerc and board chairman Pierre Baer through extraordinary shareholder meetings, sparking a flurry of disputed voting blocks, suspended directorships, and mutual accusations—including counter-claims over document forgery.
Most corporate watchers get this wrong. They think family businesses fail because of bad products or shifting consumer tastes. They fail because emotional baggage trumps balance sheets. When heirs own minority or fractional stakes while external executives hold structural levers, boardroom chess matches turn lethal.
The Stakes for the Global Beverage Market
Castel isn't just a French wine story. While its Bordeaux estates and French wine merchant arm get plenty of media attention, the real economic engine beats loudly in Africa. Operating across more than 20 countries, Castel's brewing, sugar, flour, and distillery assets dictate local supply chains from Cameroon to Côte d'Ivoire.
When boardroom turmoil paralyzes top-level decision-making, long-term capital allocation freezes. Partners hesitate. Banks look twice at credit lines. Employees caught in the crossfire wonder who is actually steering the ship.
Resolving a feud of this magnitude takes more than a court ruling in Singapore or Luxembourg. It requires an honest reckoning about who actually speaks for the enterprise. Until the dust settles, every bottle poured carries a bitter aftertaste of internal warfare.
Take a close look at how legacy companies structure their holding entities before investing or partnering. If leadership can dissolve into factional chaos overnight, no amount of historical brand prestige can protect the bottom line.
