French billionaire Olivier Goudet has expanded his influence in the global wine industry with the acquisition of Wine-Searcher, one of the world’s leading wine price comparison and data platforms.
The acquisition was completed on 11 May 2026 through his US investment arm, GLX U.S. Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Platin Sàrl, the Goudet family’s Luxembourg-registered investment vehicle.
The purchase price was not publicly disclosed.
Wine-Searcher changed owners twice in just two and a half years. It was previously owned by e‑commerce group Flaviar, which bought the platform from founder Martin Brown in December 2023. Then, GLX took full ownership of the company.
Founded in Auckland in 1999, Wine-Searcher is widely regarded as the “Google of wine”.
The platform lists 17.3 million wine, beer and spirit listings across 130 countries, serving 5.2 million monthly active users and facilitating 240 million searches per year.
Acclaimed wine critic Jancis Robinson MW has called it “the most successful, and seriously useful, price comparison website“.
Wine-Searcher remains headquartered in New Zealand and retains its UK office, with approximately 80 employees globally.
Goudet is a former CEO of JAB Holding. He stepped down in early 2024 after 12 years at the helm, staying on as a senior advisor. Under his leadership, JAB built an empire of global brands including Pret A Manger, Krispy Kreme, Keurig Dr Pepper, and Panera Bread.
In recent years, he has been steadily building his wine industry portfolio.
Beyond acquiring Wine-Searcher, in 2021, Goudet and his wife, Valérie Liquard, purchased Chateau Charmail, an estate in Haut-Médoc in Bordeaux.
Goudet has also built a 9% stake in Australia’s Treasury Wine Estates, owner of Penfolds, in late 2025.
Chateau Charmail has 28 hectares of vineyards, with soils comprising a mix of gravel, clay, sand and colluvial slip. The varieties planted are 45% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Petit Verdot.
