In cloak-and-dagger style, Messier, who is only 45 years of age, said that he has written on a piece of paper, locked away in his safe, the name of the person he thinks should succeed him. It was, he said, "in the tragic event, at least for me, of my being knocked down by a bus".
The news has fuelled suggestions that Messier may be considering a move back to politics -- before joining Vivendi, formerly General des Eaux in 1996, he was an adviser to Edouard Ballader, the former French Premier.
However, what Messier has done is confirmed that his proposed replacement is French, but that his choice may change over time. Possible internal candidates are thought to include: Dennis Olivennes, chief operating officer of pay-TV unit Canal+; Philippe Germond, chief executive of mobile division Cegetel; and Agnes Touraine, chief executive of Vivendi Universal Publishing. All three sit on the company's executive committee.
In choosing a French replacement, it is thought that Messier is trying to allay concerns that the company's recent spending spree in the US, and Messier's move to New York, would jeopardise the intentions of Canal+ to invest in the French film industry.
Meanwhile, Messier has confirmed that Canal+ is to take part in talks with regulators on the financing of the French film industry.
The division, which has pay-TV interests throughout Europe, is seeking to share investment in film production with other TV competitors that have emerged in recent years, Messier said in an interview with French newspaper Le Figaro.
Messier recently received a letter from Dominique Baudis, president of the French broadcasting authority Conseil Superior de l'Audiovisuel, expressing concern about Vivendi's purchase of the entertainment assets of USA Networks at the end of last year for £7bn.
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