Bernard Arnault

Bernard Jean Étienne Arnault is a French businessman, investor and art collector. He is the founder, chairman and CEO of LVMH, the world's largest luxury goods company. Arnault is the third richest person in the world, with an estimated net worth of US$194 billion as of July 2024, according to Forbes.
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Some of the key events about Bernard Arnault

  • 1976
    Took over his father's construction company and transformed it into a real estate developer
  • 1981
    Laid off 9,000 workers after acquiring Boussac Saint-Frères textile group
  • 1984
    Acquired the bankrupt textile company Boussac, which owned Christian Dior
  • 1984
    Acquired bankrupt fur company Agache-Willot, leading to significant job losses
  • 1987
    Founded LVMH by merging Louis Vuitton with Moët Hennessy
  • 1988
    Became chairman, CEO, and majority shareholder of LVMH
  • 1990
    Faced criticism for aggressive business tactics in acquiring LVMH
  • 1999
    Acquired Guerlain, expanding LVMH's presence in the perfume and cosmetics sector
  • 1999
    Attempted hostile takeover of Gucci, leading to a protracted legal battle
  • 2001
    Acquired Donna Karan International, further strengthening LVMH's fashion portfolio
  • 2001
    Sued by shareholders for alleged stock manipulation during LVMH's acquisition of Gucci
  • 2005
    Fined €1 million by French stock market regulator for share price manipulation
  • 2011
    Acquired Bulgari, significantly expanding LVMH's presence in the jewelry market
  • 2012
    Criticized for seeking Belgian citizenship, allegedly to avoid French wealth taxes
  • 2017
    Announced a €2 billion investment in digital technology across LVMH's brands
  • 2017
    Faced backlash for praising Donald Trump's economic policies
  • 2019
    Acquired Tiffany & Co. for $16.2 billion, the largest deal in the luxury goods sector
  • 2019
    Delayed donating to Notre-Dame restoration, initially pledging €200 million but later reducing it
  • 2021
    Became the world's wealthiest person, surpassing Jeff Bezos
  • 2022
    Briefly surpassed Elon Musk as world's richest person, drawing criticism about wealth inequality

Disclaimer: This material is written based on information taken from open sources, including Wikipedia, news media, podcasts, and other public sources.

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