1. Bernard Arnault is the founder, chairman and CEO of LVMH, the world's largest luxury goods company.
38 Facts About Bernard Arnault
1. 2.
Since 2019, Arnault has been the wealthiest man in Europe.
3.
Bernard Arnault pursued Engineering at Ecole polytechnique, graduating in 1971.
4.
Bernard Arnault began his career in his father's company, Ferret-Savinel, shifting its focus to real estate, which laid the groundwork for his future career in the luxury goods market.
5.
Bernard Arnault's influence extends beyond LVMH, with investments in web companies and philanthropic endeavors, particularly in the arts.
6.
Bernard Arnault has been involved in notable real estate and yacht ventures.
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Bernard Arnault's leadership has led to LVMH becoming the largest company by market capitalization in the eurozone.
8.
Bernard Jean Etienne Arnault was born on 5 March 1949 in Roubaix.
9.
In 1971, soon after his graduation, Bernard Arnault began work for his father's company.
10.
Bernard Arnault began his career in 1971, at Ferret-Savinel, and was its president from 1978 to 1984.
11.
Bernard Arnault became the CEO of Financiere Agache and subsequently won the bidding war for Boussac Saint-Freres, buying the group for a ceremonial one franc and effectively taking control of Boussac Saint-Freres.
12.
Bernard Arnault worked with Alain Chevalier, CEO of Moet Hennessy, and Henry Racamier, president of Louis Vuitton, to form LVMH in 1987.
13.
The fault became too large to ignore when Bernard Arnault had a differing strategic vision from Henry Racamier, Louis Vuitton's president.
14.
Bernard Arnault then turned on Racamier, stripped him of his power, and ousted him from the board of directors.
15.
LVMH acquired Berluti and Kenzo in 1993, the same year Bernard Arnault bought out the French economic newspaper La Tribune.
16.
In 1996, Bernard Arnault bought out Loewe, followed by Marc Jacobs and Sephora in 1997.
17.
Bernard Arnault chose Christian de Portzamparreke to supervise this project.
18.
That same year, Bernard Arnault turned his eyes to Gucci, an Italian leather goods company, which was run by Tom Ford and Domenico De Sole.
19.
Bernard Arnault discreetly amassed a 5 percent stake in the company before being detected.
20.
Bernard Arnault then upped his stake to 34.4 percent while insisting he wanted to be a supportive and unassertive stakeholder.
21.
De Sole proposed that in return for board representation, Bernard Arnault would stop increasing his stake in Gucci.
22.
In 1998, with businessman Albert Frere, Bernard Arnault purchased Chateau Cheval Blanc in a personal capacity.
23.
From 1998 to 2001, Bernard Arnault invested in a variety of web companies such as Boo.
24.
Bernard Arnault subsequently took control of Royal van Lent shipyard for an almost identical amount.
25.
From 2010 until 2013, Bernard Arnault was a member of the Board of Advisors of the Malaysian 1MDB fund.
26.
Bernard Arnault has promoted decisions toward decentralizing the group's brands as a business strategy.
27.
Bernard Arnault has four grandchildren, two from his son Antoine and two from his daughter, Delphine.
28.
In July 2019, Bernard Arnault became the second-richest man in the world, with a net worth of $103 billion.
29.
Bernard Arnault briefly surpassed Jeff Bezos to become the richest person in the world in December 2019, and again for a short time in January 2020.
30.
On 5 August 2021, Bernard Arnault regained the status of the wealthiest man in the world, with his net worth climbing to $198.4 billion.
31.
Musk would surpass Arnaut in June 2023 in net worth with $240 billion, as Bernard Arnault's wealth dropped to $190 billion.
32.
In 2013, it was disclosed that Bernard Arnault planned to apply for Belgian citizenship and was considering moving to Belgium.
33.
On 10 April 2013, Bernard Arnault announced he had decided to abandon his application for Belgian citizenship, saying he did not want the move to be misinterpreted as a measure of tax evasion, at a time when France faced economic and social challenges.
34.
In October 2022, Bernard Arnault stated that LVMH sold its private jet after a Twitter user began to track its flights and stated he began renting private aircraft for his personal and business flights instead.
35.
Bernard Arnault plays tennis weekly, watches his weight, and works continually.
36.
Bernard Arnault's collection includes works by Picasso, Yves Klein, Henry Moore, and Andy Warhol.
37.
Bernard Arnault was instrumental in establishing LVMH as a significant patron of art in France.
38.
In 2006, Bernard Arnault started the building project of the Louis Vuitton Foundation.