Background
Born on March 18, 1955, the son of a doctor, he attended the Lycee Pasteur in Neuilly-sur-Seine. After being advised by his teachers that he was so bright, he would need to advance a year, his parents sent him to England for a year to learn English, at St Martin's Preparatory School in Northwood, Middlesex. He then studied at the Ecole polytechnic, and from 1973 the Ecole National Higher School of Telecommunications.