chronicle

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1970s: construction and real estate

​After graduating from the Lycée Maxence Van Der Meersch in Roubaix, Bernard Arnault was admitted to the École Polytechnique in Palaiseau, from which he graduated with a M.Sc degree in 1971.

After graduation in 1971, Arnault joined his father's company, Ferret-Savinel, a civil engineering company. In 1974, he was  named the Director of Company Development.

In 1973, Arnault was married to Anne Dewavrin and the couple has a daughter Delphine and a son Antoine. The marriage ended in 1990.

In 1976, Bernard Arnault convinced his father Jean Leon Arnault to liquidate the construction division of the company for 40 million French francs and to change the focus of the company to real estate. Using the name Férinel, the new company developed a specialty in holiday accommodation. 

In 1977, he became the CEO and two years later, he succeeded his father as president of the company.

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1980s

In 1981, Bernard Arnault moved to the U.S. when the socialists came to power in France, and started developing condominiums in Palm Beach, Florida and also began to build a U.S. branch of his family´s property business.

In 1984, with the help of Antoine Bernheim, a senior partner of Lazard Frères, Arnault acquired the Financière Agache, a luxury goods company.He became the CEO of Financière Agache and subsequently took control of Boussac Saint-Frères, a textile company in turmoil. Boussac owned Christian Dior, the department store Le Bon Marché, the retail shop Conforama, and the diapers manufacturer Peaudouce. He sold nearly all the company's assets, keeping only the prestigious Christian Dior brand and Le Bon Marché department store.

1990s

​In 1987,  a brand new luxury group  LVMH was created from the merger between two companies, and Bernard Arnault mediated a conflict between Alain Chevalier, Moët Hennessy's CEO, and Henri Racamier, president of Louis Vuitton. The new group held property rights to Dior perfumes that Arnault believed should be incorporated into Dior Couture.

In July 1988, Arnault provided $1.5 billion to form a holding company with Guinness that held 24% of LVMH's shares. In response to rumors that the Louis Vuitton group was buying LVMH's stock to form a "blocking minority", Arnault spent $600 million to buy 13.5% more of LVMH, making him LVMH's largest shareholder.

In January 1989, he spent another $500 million to gain control of a total of 43.5% of LVMH's shares and 35% of its voting rights, thus reaching the "blocking minority" that he needed to stop the dismantlement of the LVMH group. On 13 January 1989, he was unanimously elected chairman of the executive management board.

Since then, Arnault has led the company through an ambitious development plan, transforming it into one of the largest luxury groups in the world, alongside Swiss luxury giant Richemont and French-based Kering.

In eleven years, the market value of LVMH has multiplied by at least fifteen, while, simultaneously, the sales and profit rose by 500%. He promoted decisions towards decentralizing the group's brands. As a result of these measures, the brands are now viewed as independent firms with their own history.

Arnault's professional decisions support the idea that LVMH has "shared advantages" such as having the strong brands that help finance those that are still developing. The portfolio of major luxury brands has a history of stability, and thus its solidity allows for new acquisitions and group development. Because of this strategy, Christian Lacroix was able to open his own fashion house.

In July 1988, Arnault acquired Céline.

Bernard Arnault second wife, Canadian pianist Hélène Mercier

In the Fall of 1989, Bernard Arnault met Hélène Mercier, a Canadian pianist from Quebec at a dinner party, he invited her to his house on New Year´s Eve where he played an Alexander Scriabin prelude for her. 

Two years later, on 23 September 1991, they got married. After her marriage, Hélène Mercier Arnault as a professional concert pianist still practices piano between 2-6 hour per day and performs in about 20 concerts a year, but she often accompanies Bernard Arnault for fashion shows and boutique openings around the world.

The couple has three sons, Alexandre, Frédéric, and Jean. The two sons Alexandre and Frédéric, together with his two children from his first marriage Delphine and Antoine all have official roles in brands controlled by Arnault, along with his niece Stephanie Watine Arnault.

In 1993, LVMH acquired Berluti and Kenzo. In the same year, Arnault bought out the French economic newspaper La Tribune. The company never achieved the desired success, despite his 150 million euro investment, and he sold it in November 2007 in order to buy a different French economic newspaper, Les Échos, for 240 million euros.

In 1994, LVMH acquired the perfume firm Guerlain. In 1996, Arnault bought out Loewe, followed by Marc Jacobs and Sephora in 1997. These brands were also integrated into the group: Thomas Pink in 1999, Emilio Pucci in 2000 and Fendi, DKNY and La Samaritaine in 2001.

In the 1990s, Arnault decided to develop a centre in New York to manage LVMH's presence in the United States. He chose Christian de Portzamparc to supervise this project.The result was the LVMH Tower that opened in December 1999.

Ce qui m'énerve dans ces classements sur les fortunes, c'est d'apparaître aux côtés de gens qui ont hérité ou spéculé. D'être représenté comme l'homme le plus riche de France et non comme celui qui a créé le numéro un mondial du luxe, des emplois et participé au rayonnement international de notre pays.

(What annoys me in these rankings on fortunes is to appear alongside people who have either inherited or speculated. To be represented as the richest man in France and not as the one who has created the No. 1 luxury world, jobs for people and has participated in the international influence of our country.)


-- Bernard Arnault

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2000s

​From 1998 to 2001, Arnault invested in a variety of web companies such as Boo.com, Libertysurf, and Zebank through his holding Europatweb. Groupe Arnault also invested in Netflix in 1999.

​From 1999 to 2003, he owned Phillips de Pury & Company, an art auction house, and bought out the first French auctioneer, Tajan.

In 2005, Bernard Arnault became the richest man in France.

​In 2007, Blue Capital announced that Arnault owns jointly with the California property firm Colony Capital acquired 10.69% of France's largest supermarket retailer and the world's second-largest food distributor Carrefour.

In 2006, Arnault started the building project of the Louis Vuitton Foundation. Dedicated to creation and contemporary art, the building was designed by the architect Frank Gehry.The Foundation's grand opening at the Jardin d'Acclimatation Paris was held on 20 October 2014.

Bernard Arnault with architect Frank Gehry (right) in front of the Foundation Louis Vuitton in Paris

la Fondation Louis-Vuitton view from le Jardin d'acclimatation

In 2007, Arnault was made a Commander of the French Legion of Honour.
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In 2008, he entered the yacht business and bought Princess Yachts for 253 million euros. He subsequently took control of Royal van Lent for an almost identical amount.

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2010

Bernard Arnault with his wife Hélène Mercier Arnault, his son Antoine Arnault and Designer Marc Jacobs backstage during the Louis Vuitton Ready to Wear show as part of the Paris Womenswear Fashion Week Fall/Winter 2011 at Cour Carree du Louvre on March 10, 2010 in Paris, France.

In 2011, Bernard Arnault was awarded Grand Officer of the French Legion of Honour and was presented with the Corporate Citizenship award from the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.

As of 2015, Bernard Arnault has a net worth of $37.5 billion, and his LVMH owns more than 3,900 retail store around the world and more than 70 luxury brands including From Couture to Cosmetics, from travel to technology, from entertainment to gourmet: Christian Dior, Givenchy, Bulgari, Louis Vuitton, Celine, Dom Perignon, Fendi, Marc Jacobs, Emilio Pucci, Loro Piano, Nicolas Kirwood, Thomas Pink, RM Williams, EDUN, Moynat, Dona Karen, Hermes, Sephora, Guerlain, Netflix, Blue Capital, Boo.com, Liberty surf, Zebank, Princess Cruises Yachts and Carrefour.

On July 3, 2017, Bernard Arnault completed the acquisition of Christian Dior Couture, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Christian Dior SA. This simplification of the structure makes it possible to unify the Christian Dior brand within LVMH.

In April 2019, after the burning of Notre Dame in Paris, Bernard Arnault and his family announced to donate 200 million euros to help rebuild the Cathedral.

In July 2019, The Forbes Magazine estimates Bernard Arnault´s fortune at  US$108 million (91,7 million euros), thus he is not only the richest man in France but in Europe, and the second richest man in the world.

style

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Suits and ensembles

• Blue

Bernard Arnault with with his wife Hélène Mercier Arnault

Bernard Arnault in Paris, 2019

• Grey

• Black

Bernard Arnault, in his private jet Bombardier Global Express 5.000 between Beijing and Shanghai, 2004 © M.Deville/Gamma-Rapho

Bernard Arnault with his wife Hélène Mercier Arnault, Karl Lagerfeld and John Galiano

Bernard Arnault on construction site of La Foundation Louis Vuitton, 2013

Bernard Arnault in Moscow, November 2016

Bernard Arnault with Jean Claude Biver, CEO of TAG Heuer

Bernard Arnault in 2017

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TASTE

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Hobbies:

• ​Piano

Bernard Arnault playing piano at home in 2000

Bernard Arnault loves classic music and he likes to play piano, a passion he shared with his second wife, Canadian concert pianist Hélène Mercier Arnault and their children.

• ​Tennis

Bernard Arnault likes to play tennis regularly and likes to watch the tennis matches such as French Open, and he is acclaimed to be fan of Roger Federer.

• ​Art collection

Bernard Arnault is a prominent art collector who prefers modern art, and his collection includes work by Pablo Picasso, Damien Hirst, Yves Klein, Henry Moore, Jean-Michel Basquiat and Andy Warhol.

He was also instrumental in establishing LVMH as a major patron of art in France.

Homes

Bernard Arnault and his family´s principle residence is a hotel particulier of 2000m2, close to des Invalides, previously property of French industrialist Jean-Luc Lagardère.

He also owns château Saint-Rémy-des-Landes in Clairefontaine-en-Yvelines, Chateau Cheval Blanc in Bordeaux and mansion in Saint-Tropez.

In 2000, Bernard Arnault purchased Nyn Park, a piece of land of 129 hectares about 30 kilometres North to London and built a luxury villa of 4,300 m2.

He also purchased an island of 54 hectares in Bahamas at 35 million dollars.

In 2014, Bernard Arnault acquired the winery in Burgundy of 10 hectares with 10 million euros. He also owns another 25 wineries around the world.

• Main Residence: Paris

Bernard Arnault playing piano at his home in Paris

• Chateau Cheval Blanc
  
  In 1998, Bernard Arnault and Albert Frere privately acquired this 150 years old  Chateau Cheval Blanc, located in the furest corner of northwest Saint-Emilion in Bordeaux, France. It is surrounded by rich vineyard. Since 1871, this unchanged vineyard covers 41 hectares and aptly combines beauty, nature and history at one place and is considered to be one of best wine producing area in world.

• Château Saint-Rémy-des-Landes in Clairefontaine-en-Yvelines

• St. Tropez Villa

Bernard Arnault mansion in St. Tropez aerial view

Bernard Arnault mansion in St. Tropez

Yacht

• ​Amadeus​

Bernard Arnault´s first yacht is a 70m motor yacht, custom built in 1969 by Neue Jadewerft in Wilhelmshaven Germany as a research vessel. The yacht's interior is designed by Zuretti and exterior by Reymond Langton Design. She can accomodate 12 guests and has capacity fo 5 crew onboard.

Bernard Arnault sold her in 2016.

• ​Symphony
  

Bernard Arnault´s second yacht Symphony is eco friendly yacht, at length of 101,5 m, she was the largest Feadship yacht at the time of her delivery in 2015. Her exterior is designed by Tim Heywood Design and interior by Zuretti Interior Design. She is anchored at îles Caïmans, with an estimated value of 130 million euros.

Symphony interior

Private jet

Bernard Arnault owns a private jet Bombardier Global Express, with estimated value of 52 millions dollars.

Bernard Arnault, in his private jet Bombardier Global Express 5.000 between Beijing and Shanghai, 2004 © M.Deville/Gamma-Rapho

people related to

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Hélène Mercier Arnault, wife

Hélène Mercier Arnault

wife

Antoine Arnault

Son

Delphine Arnault

daughter

Frederic Arnault

Son

Alexandre Arnault

son

Jean Arnault

son

external links

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Websites and Articles

English:

• Bernard Arnault, the French man of elegance becomes the richest man in the world
• Bernard Arnault: France’s ‘wolf-in-cashmere’ billionaire
  
• LVMH brought in a record-breaking $59 billion in revenue in 2019. Meet CEO Bernard Arnault, the world's 3rd-richest person, who's built a $98 billion fortune as head of the luxury giant.

French:

• Ce Jour Où Bernard Arnault Est Devenu L’Homme Le Plus Riche Du Monde
  

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Videos

PROFILE

Bernard Arnault est né le 5 mars 1949 à Roubaix, est un homme d'affaires français. Il est l'actionnaire majoritaire et le président-directeur général du groupe de luxe LVMH.

Selon le magazine Forbes, Bernard Arnault est, en janvier 2020, l'homme le plus riche du monde, avec des actifs évalués à 117 milliards de dollars.

Bernard Arnault is a French business magnate, investor, and art collector. Arnault is the Chairman and Chief Executive of LVMH Moët Hennessy – Louis Vuitton SE, commonly referred to as LVMH, the world's largest luxury-goods company, as well as its majority owner. He controls brands such as Louis Vuitton, Givenchy, Fendi, TAG Heuer and Christian Dior, 

In April 2018, he became the richest person in fashion, toppling Zara's Amancio Ortega.

As of July 2019, Arnault is the richest person in Europe and the second-richest person in the world according to Forbes magazine, with a net worth of US$108 billion. 

Books

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