Internet porn billionaire to take over Le Monde

The Daily Telegraph reports that Le Monde's journalists' association, the paper's main shareholder, have voted for the daily to be taken over by three French investors who President Nicolas Sarkozy sought to block.
The consortium is made up of Pierre Berge, ex-partner of the late fashion designer Yves Saint-Laurent, Lazard banker Matthieu Pigasse and internet tycoon Xavier Niel. Mr Niel made his fortune on internet pornography, chat lines and peep shows.
The trio have promised journalists at the paper a "blocking" vote on future changes and complete editorial independence.
The journalists' association voted 90 per cent in favour of their bid and rejected an offer by a group that includes France Telecom subsidiary Orange, the Nouvel Observateur group and Spain's Prisa, which owns El Pais newspaper. The newspaper is expected to make its final decision on the offer by the end of the month. Le Monde, France's flagship daily, is being crushed by a mountain of debt and put out a call to investors capable of injecting between 80 and 120 million euros to come to its aid.