Bernard Arnault

Bernard Arnault

Chairman, Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy - Net Worth $41 .
 LVMH Chief Executive Bernard Arnault . 


Biography

Born in Roubaix in 1949, Bernard Arnault is the son of a builder. Ecole Polytechnique student, he took over the family business, Ferret-Savinel and became the boss in 1978. He alters it in real estate company called Ferinel. 

In 1981, he goes into exile in United States where he tries to launch Ferinel. He doesn’t stay for a long time: in 1984 he comes back to France in order to buy the Finance Company Agache-Willot, which controls Marcel Boussac, a conglomerate in failures. Bernard Arnault only keeps the famous store Le Bon Marché and the luxury brand, Christian Dior. 

During this period, Bernard Arnault is a “raider”; he takes stake in LVMH capital in the second half of the 80, enjoying hostile takeovers and stock market perturbations. 

LVMH is the first global luxury brands group, including Louis Vuitton, Kenzo, Guerlain, Givenchy, Chaumet, Krug… And some medias as Les Echos, Investir or Radio Classique. 

Bernard Arnault companies are complex: the holding company, Groupe Arnault SAS, controls Montaigne Finance, which controls Finance Company Agache, which controls 70 % of Christian Dior (listed on the stock exchange), which controls Finance Company Jean Goujon, which controls 47,5% of LVMH (also listed on the stock exchange). 

First French fortune with 22.24 billion Euros according to the magazine Challenges, and the fourth worldwide fortune according to Forbes ranking in 2011, Bernard Arnault did not give up investments: real estate, private equity, but also companies listed on the stock exchange. For example, Groupe Arnault has shares of the listed company Rentabiliweb. In the greatest secrecy… 

Bernard Arnault knows how surrounding himself: he created in 2006 an investment fund (one billion Euros) with the Belgian financier Albert Frère, one of his friends. 

Detail unknown: according to its annual report in 2006, Belholding Belgium SA, one of Albert Frère companies “has for principal assets its shares in Groupe Arnault SAS”. The links between both friends are also business links.

Bibliographie
Airy Routier, L'Ange exterminateur, Albin Michel, Paris, 2003 

Bernard Arnault, La Passion créative, converses with Yves Messarovitch, Plon, Paris, 2000 

Nadège Forestier and Nazarine Ravai, Bernard Arnault or Le goût du pouvoir, Olivier Orban, 1990 

Collectif, Patrons et hommes... d'affaires, Les dossiers du Canard n° 55, 1995 
Nazanine Ravai, La République des vanités, Grasset, 1997


Bernard Arnault image gallery 

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