# Denis Ladegaillerie

> Denis Ladegaillerie is the French co-founder and CEO of Believe, the Paris-based music company he started in 2005 with Arnaud Chiaramonti and Nicolas Laclias. A former business lawyer and Vivendi digital executive, he built a business around helping independent artists and labels distribute music and develop audiences. Believe acquired TuneCore in 2015 and Sentric in 2023, listed in Paris in 2021, and returned to private ownership in 2025 through a consortium including Ladegaillerie, EQT and TCV.

- **Role:** Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer at Believe
- **Organizations:** Believe, Vivendi Universal, Shearman & Sterling
- **From:** Limoges, France
- **Nationality:** French
- **Education:** Master of Laws (LL.M.), Duke University, ESCP Business School, Sciences Po Paris, Master of Laws, Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne
- **Known for:** Co-founded Believe in 2005 and remains its CEO., Led Believe through a 2021 Euronext Paris listing that raised €300 million., Built Believe into a company reporting €988.8 million revenue in 2024.

## Career timeline

- **1997** — Passed the New York Bar and began practicing business law at Shearman & Sterling.
- **2000** — Joined Vivendi’s finance department, working on its internet-company portfolio.
- **2001** — Became chief strategy and financial officer for Vivendi’s US digital activities.
- **2005** — Co-founded Believe with Arnaud Chiaramonti and Nicolas Laclias in Paris.
- **2015** — Believe acquired TuneCore and Musicast; TCV invested in the company.
- **2016** — Believe acquired Naïve.
- **2021** — Believe listed on Euronext Paris, raising €300 million.
- **2023** — Believe acquired music publishing platform Sentric.
- **2024** — Ladegaillerie joined EQT and TCV in a consortium that acquired control of Believe.
- **2025** — Believe returned to private ownership; its shares were delisted on August 5.
- **2026** — Continued as founder and CEO as Believe reorganized global music leadership around its 2030 plan.

## Achievements

- Co-founded Believe in 2005 and remains its CEO.
- Led Believe through a 2021 Euronext Paris listing that raised €300 million.
- Built Believe into a company reporting €988.8 million revenue in 2024.
- Expanded Believe through acquisitions including TuneCore (2015) and Sentric (2023).
- Participated with EQT and TCV in the consortium that took Believe private.

## Latest updates

- **2026-10** — On October 19, Believe expanded Romain Vivien’s Global Head of Music responsibilities to its EMEA, Americas and APAC regions and strategic partnerships under the 2030 plan.
- **2026-10** — Believe’s Amsterdam Dance Event program listed a discussion featuring Denis Ladegaillerie and Romain Vivien on the company’s development and future plans.
- **2025-09** — In a September 22 interview, Ladegaillerie outlined a middle-first strategy and investment priorities including artist services, label services, publishing, platform relationships and staff skills.
- **2025-08** — Believe shares were delisted from Euronext Paris on August 5 after the Upbeat BidCo buyout and squeeze-out.

## Links

- Website: https://www.believe.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/denisladegaillerie/
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/believedenis

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/denis-ladegaillerie
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-22