Bernard Arnault

Bernard Arnault is a French business man born the March 5th 1949 with Roubaix (Northern).

Biography

The father of Bernard Arnault, Jean Arnault, is an industrialist, owner of a company of public Travaux, Tag-Savinel.

After the college Maxence Van Der Meersch, into Roubaix, Bernard Arnault integrates the Polytechnic school (X1969 promotion). In 1971, it joined the family company, and convinces his/her father to sell activities BTP of the company, for 40 franc million, and to reconvert the company into property development. Under the trade name of Férinel, the new business specializes in the apartments of tourism with a slogan Férinel, owner with the sea . It succeeds his father in 1978 with the head of the company.

After the election of François Mitterrand with the presidency of the Republic, in May 1981, he emigrates with the the United States, and founds Ferinel Inc.

Three years later he becomes chairman of Financial Agache. After having perceived State aid (government Fabius), against the promise not to lay off, it takes possession of the group Boussac, in full rout of textile industry. It resells the most important credits of them, preserving only the prestigious mark Christian Dior and the department store Bon Marché.

In 1989, it is called in reinforcement by the shareholders of the group of luxury LVMH, resulting from fusion into 1987 of two French groups Moët Hennessy (intervening mainly in the wines and spirits) on the one hand, and from the group Louis Vuitton (head office of Louis Vuitton Malletier and other marks of luxury) on the other hand. Group LVMH is then the object of a tender offer whose instigators are in particular the Banque Lazard and Bernard Arnault. Benefitting from the stock exchange disorder and actionnariale, it becomes majority Actionnaire of LVMH. It leads since an ambitious plan of development of the group, making to LVMH the first group of luxury in the world in front of Switzerland Richemont.

Married twice, he is the father of five children. His/her Delphine oldest daughter is since 2004 administrator of the group LVMH. His wife, Québécois Helene Draper, , is Pianiste.

In 2006, its personal inheritance is evaluated with 21,5 billion dollars through a pyramid of holdings : Montaigne Finances control financial Agache, which controls Christian Dior, which has Financial the Jean Goujon, which holds a little more than 42% of LVMH. In 2005, he is the richest man of France. According to the classification 2006 of the magazine Forbes of greatest fortunes of planet, It passes in front of its compatriot Liliane Bettencourt and enters “signal 10”, with the 7th rank with an estimated fortune of 30 billion US dollars (23.5 billion euros).

Large Collector of art, following the example business man François Pinault, it launched the project of a Fondation Louis Vuitton for the contemporary art, which should open with the Zoological gardens of Paris in 2010. Bernard Arnault is also commander of the Légion of honor.

He was pilot of marriage of Nicolas Sarkozy.

He lost nearly 500 million euros at the time of the bursting of the Bulle Internet. In partnership with Colony, the Group Bernard Arnault entered the capital of Carrefour on March 23rd, 2007.

Sources

Boursilex

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