He does not seem to be one of the most influential and successful businessmen in the Czech Republic. And not at all as the billionaire he probably is, although he strongly resists such a designation. He goes to work by tram because he doesn’t have a driver’s license, most often you meet him in dark jeans and an elderly shirt. Nevertheless, almost no major philanthropic project can do without it, it supports art and is one of the pioneers of the local investment scene. This is Libor Winkler, co-owner and head of the RSJ financial group.
I know it may sound inappropriate, but at least from a business point of view we were really doing well, “ says in a meeting room on the fifth floor of the Florentinum administrative complex in Prague, where the RSJ has its headquarters.
The group has two basic business legs. The first is the algorithm system, which trades on the stock exchanges in London, Chicago and Frankfurt, where RSJ is a so-called market maker. It offers other brokers that they can both buy and sell their assets, usually various financial derivatives, at fixed prices.
The second part is investment funds, which manage several billion crowns and whose portfolio includes, for example, a stake in Pillow insurance company or administrative Enterprise Office Center complex in Prague’s Pankrác. Real estate and its development are the area where Winkler et al. recently active. For example, the construction of a project that has been postponed for several years on the edge of Revoluční Street near Hlávka Bridge in Prague should start.
Libor Winkler from RSJ
A residential building designed by the famous architect Eva Jiřičná is to be built there. “Everything is on the right track,” Winkler, 61, cautiously agrees. The Novomlýnská project has so far been hampered mainly by resistance from people from the neighboring apartment building, who would lose their skylights with the new house. According to Winkler, however, they managed to find common ground with the locals. “We learned a lot when we bought the building, we didn’t do a thorough survey and that’s how it turned out,” admits Winkler.
I Based on this experience, RSJ began cooperating with large developers in its real estate investments. Its partners include the largest in the country – with Panattoni it is building a logistics park near Chomutov, it participates in residential and administrative projects in Prague and Bratislava with companies such as JRD, Finep or YIT
The Winkler-related investment, which saw a major shift in 2021, concerns the renowned Field Restaurant, which it co-owns with other RSJ colleagues and which defended Michelin star . “We bought Dům U Červené lišky on the Old Town Square, which we will sensitively repair, and the team from Field around chef Radek Kašpárek will open a new restaurant there,” describes a native of Ostrava who studied Brno farming and
The House of the Red Fox has undergone extensive but not very successful reconstruction in recent years, including a bank. It is her prints that Winkler and his partners will want to get away. “The restaurant and some open space in the house should have been created earlier, but because of the covid, it came to an end, so this investment opportunity came about. It was reasonably priced, “ adds.
Field Restaurant chef Radek Kašpárek defended the Michelin star
Photo: Field
Winkler started investing in the early 1990s. When coupon privatization started in the Czech Republic, he was one of the first certified brokers. He joined RSJ in 1999 and became Chairman of the Board and Shareholder. It gradually helped brothers Tomáš and Karel Janeček to build a company which, to its shareholders, which also includes well-known investor Václav Dejčmar , earns hundreds of millions of crowns a year
However, the property structure of RSJ is much more diverse today. Winkler holds the majority with the young generation of the company’s managers, such as Bronislav Kandrík, Michal Šaňák, Anton Tyutin, Petr Altman or Jakub Petrásek. Although the Janeček brothers are still shareholders, their shares have dropped significantly and Karel Janeček already holds only seven percent of the RSJ, until recently it was more than a fifth. has been going on for several years, ” adds Winkler. He donates around 25 million crowns a year to charity, supports the Neuron Foundation, is one of the co-founders of Diary N is also a supporter and shareholder of the DOX Gallery. And he is also one of the founding members of the initiative of 32 Czech businessmen, who called on the incoming government to help the country go through the second wave of economic transformation
“I am quite optimistic, I would lie if I said I was not pleased with the election result,” laughs. Winkler, who in the past financially supported, for example, the eventually unsuccessful presidential campaign of Jiří Drahoš or the Association for the Support of Liberal Democracy in the Czech Republic, founded by Internet entrepreneurs Dušan Šenkypl and Jan Barta, who helped unite the fragmented political opposition in the fight with Andrej Babiš. They also make no secret of the fact that they would like to see former General Petr Pavel at Prague Castle next year.
closely related to this due to the planned candidacy of the company’s co-founder Karel Janeček . The quirky mathematician has not yet officially confirmed it, but everything indicates that he will want to apply for the Castle, this was already indicated in the TV broadcast of the Czech Nightingale competition, which he bought.
Kája is a bit like my child, we agree on a number of things, some do not, ” Winkler chooses cautious words to address his longtime companion, who is no longer involved in the RSJ and is only a passive shareholder. What do they disagree on? „ We have a lot of common issues, such as the country’s pro-Western direction. However, the president should unite the country, not divide it, “Winkler suggests .
Karel Janeček
Photo: Znesnáze21
He has in mind Janeček’s performance at Český slavík, which it attracted a lot of attention because the billionaire there criticized anti-epidemic measures, objected to the vaccination of children and also came across the attitudes of the academic community towards the disease. “I didn’t like it and I told him that. I’m not so interested in the opinion that Karel has, but that he has chosen a topic that splits. ”
In general, Winkler does not want to talk about Janeček’s political ambitions, but what he admits is the fact that his presidential candidacy will make life difficult for the whole company. Because the company operates in a stock market, a politically active person in its structures, however small it holds, is a complication due to international anti-money laundering rules. „ These are worries for us, his shares in the investments will have to be transferred to a special trust. We are not happy about it, “ Libor Winkler shrugs. So what will 2022 be like? „ It will probably be a ride, a lot will depend on inflation. But I’m not afraid of it in terms of business and investment. And as for politics, I believe that the new government will fail to disappoint. “
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