9621 Agnes Crossing, Lake Suzanneview, New Mexico Island 84604-9295.
For many people, Bernard Arnault will be a complete unknown, despite being the architect of LVMH (from its acronym). Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy) is one of the largest
For many people, Bernard Arnault will be a complete unknown, despite being the architect of LVMH (from its acronym). Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy) is one of the largest empires devoted entirely to the luxury industry and is currently the richest man in the world according to Forbes.
French millionaire wins The world’s largest fortune surpasses Jeff Bezos in 2022but just a few months later he lost his lead to the successful Elon Musk, who remains the richest man in the world for most of 2023. In 2024, unexpected events brought back business-leading luxury fashion once again. He tops the list of millionaires with an estimated fortune of $239,000 million.
A cultured person with diverse tastes, he enjoys playing the grand piano in his office in Paris and shares tennis matches with Roger Federer when his schedule allows.
We even find it under the LVMH umbrella 76 luxury fashion brands such as Christian Dior, Louis Vuitton, Loewe, Hermes or Givenchy; From cosmetics such as Sephora, Kenzo Parfums or Guerlain; The most exclusive vineyards where Dom Pérignon and Moët & Chandon are produced, as well as the most exclusive jewelery and watches such as Tiffany & Co, Zenith, Bvlgari, Hublot and TAG Heuer. The value of his group is approximately 454,000 million euros.
Bernard Jean Étienne Arnault was born in March 1949 into a wealthy family in Roubaix, a town in northern France, near the Belgian border. His family owned a public works company Gelincik-Savinel And They made their fortune from the construction industry.
Arnault graduated from the prestigious École Polytechnique engineering school and started working in the family business in 1971. He soon convinces his father to sell the company and invest the profits in tourist apartment projects on the French Riviera.
He married his first wife, Anne Dewavrin, in 1973 and had two children: Antoine, CEO and vice president of Christian Dior, and Delphine, Dior’s current director. He became construction manager in 1975. FerinelThe new company founded by his family.
Three years later, he replaced his father as head of the company, but In 1981, he decided to immigrate to the United States with his family. Continuing his real estate business by building tourist accommodations on the coast of Palm Beach (Florida).
The millionaire said in an interview: “When I went to New York for the first time, I asked the taxi driver at the airport if he knew the then French president, Georges Pompidou. He replied: “Not at all, but I know Christian Dior.”
His journey in the US lasted three years, but when he returned to his native France, Arnault took advantage of the financial crisis to gain control of the luxury brand’s textile company. Boussac Saint-Freresand with it real object of desire: Christian Dior brand.
The operation was closed for $80 million, and Bernard Arnault donated 15 million of his family fortune to buy the fashion brand. He immediately got rid of the textile company and the derivatives he didn’t need, making an unexpected profit of $400 million from them. He had laid the first stone of what would become his own luxury empire.
Bernard Arnault’s economic rise did not stop and after just four years Invested $1.8 billion to gain control of 24% of LVMH sharesto purge the firm’s former management members and become chairman and CEO to establish himself firmly.
From then on, Arnault devoted himself to acquiring brands and giving them their own identities, wrapped in an aura of luxury and exclusivity. In an interview with Harvard Business Reviewthe tycoon said: “Dom Pérignon is a perfect example [de marca atemporal]. I can guarantee that people will be drinking this in the next century. It was created 250 years ago, but will remain relevant and desired for a century and beyond. “It appeals to people of all ages, just like some suitcases you buy throughout your life.”
He divorced his first wife in 1990, and a year later he married pianist Hélène Mercier-Arnault and had three children with her. Two of them, Frédéric and Alexandre, serve as vice presidents of Tiffany and general managers of Tag Heuer, respectively. Younger brother Jean has served as marketing and development director at Louis Vuitton since 2021, but is not on the holding’s board of directors.
Her The first entry into the Forbes millionaires list occurred in 1997He made his debut with a fortune of $3.6 billion.
In the late 1990s and early 2000s, LVMH grew so much that the company’s liquidity was compromised, so investment analysts downgraded LVMH. New York Times In 2001.
The tycoon’s recent history has been marked by the rapid growth of his fortune, which stood at just under $40 billion in 2016, according to Forbes.
Since signing with Rihanna to distribute the artist’s lucrative cosmetics line, valued at over $1.7 billion, The rise of Bernard Arnault’s fortune counter has not stopped until it reaches the current $239,000 million.
Just a few days ago, French President Emmanuel Macron rewarded Bernard Arnault’s business career by awarding the millionaire with the 2024 Grand Cross of the Order of Honor, the highest decoration awarded by the French State, at an event he attended. Elon Musk and Beyoncé.
To Bernard Arnault at least nine features are knownHis usual home in the elegant 7th arrondissement of Paris, St. There is a castle in St. Tropez, another southwest of Paris, and six estates in Beverly Hills (California).
Symphony, Bernard Arnault’s superyacht
The French businessman used to fly with his private jet, but he recently gave up this to avoid problems with Elon Musk’s Twitter account that follows his flights. The millionaire himself admitted the facts in a radio interview. Radio Classic. “Of course, despite all these stories, the group had a plane and we sold it,” Arnault said. He now saves his trips with a private jet rental company.
One of his whims is the Symphony. 101 meters long super yacht It has a capacity of 16 people in eight cabins, where 27 crew members work. The yacht has interesting features such as a 6-meter pool with a glass floor on one of its decks, an open-air cinema, a jacuzzi, a sauna and a private office.
in Xataka | Elon Musk, Zuckerberg or Arnault are losing billions of dollars. Stock market earthquake shook the fortunes of the richest
Image | Flickr (Jérémy Barande, Jill_Ion), Wikimedia Commons (Phan Minh Tuan)
Source: Xatak Android
Ashley Johnson is a science writer for “Div Bracket”. With a background in the natural sciences and a passion for exploring the mysteries of the universe, she provides in-depth coverage of the latest scientific developments.
