Meet the French entrepreneur intent on a multi-billion dollar dealmaking spree in the US

Patrick Drahi, the billionaire founder of telecoms company Altice, is back on the acquisition trail.

The European company has struck a $17.7 billion deal to buy Cablevision, becoming the fourth biggest cable operator in the US.

That is just the latest in a series of deals by the ambitious company.

It struck a deal to buy US cable group Suddenlink earlier this year, and considered a deal with Time Warner Cable.

Back in Europe, it bid for local rival Bouygues. In 2014, it acquired assets in Brazil from Portugal Telecom and agreed a deal to buy local rival SFR for $23 billion.

He now has his heart set on the US market. Altice has successfully deployed what is called a quadruple-play model in Europe, bundling fixed and mobile phone, internet and cable TV together in one service.

"My vision is to do the same in the US, but bigger," he told $4

Here is everything you need to know about the billionaire that is likely to be front page news in America.