Career Timeline of Bernard Arnault: Major Achievements and Milestones

How Bernard Arnault built a successful career. Explore key moments that defined the journey.

Bernard Arnault is a French businessman, investor, and art collector, best known as the chairman and CEO of LVMH, the world's largest luxury goods company. He is consistently ranked among the wealthiest individuals globally, with a net worth exceeding $148 billion as of May 2025. His leadership at LVMH has solidified the company's position as a dominant force in the luxury market, encompassing a vast portfolio of prestigious brands.

Sections (4)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

1971: Started Career at Ferret-Savinel

In 1971, Bernard Arnault began his career at Ferret-Savinel, marking his entry into the business world.

1971: Graduation from École Polytechnique

In 1971, Bernard Arnault graduated from the École Polytechnique, a leading engineering school in France.

1971: Started Working at Father's Company

In 1971, soon after graduating, Bernard Arnault began working for his father's company, Ferret-Savinel.

1978: President of Ferret-Savinel

In 1978, Bernard Arnault became the president of Ferret-Savinel, taking on a leadership role in the company.

1984: Acquisition of Boussac Saint-Frères

In 1984, Arnault strategically acquired the financially-struggling textile and retail conglomerate Boussac Saint-Frères, which included the prestigious fashion house Christian Dior.

1984: Heard about Boussac Saint-Frères empire

In 1984, as a young real estate developer, Arnault learned that the French government was preparing to select a new owner for the Boussac Saint-Frères empire, which included Christian Dior.

1987: Boussac Became Profitable Again

By 1987, after Arnault bought Boussac and implemented significant changes, the company became profitable again, reporting earnings of $112 million on a revenue stream of $1.9 billion.

1987: Creation of LVMH

In 1987, Arnault played a key role in the creation of LVMH (Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy), a global luxury goods company, by merging Louis Vuitton with Moët Hennessy.

July 1988: Acquisition of Céline

In July 1988, Arnault acquired Céline, expanding LVMH's portfolio.

July 1988: Holding Company Formation

In July 1988, Arnault invested $1.6 billion to establish a holding company with Guinness, acquiring 24% of LVMH's shares.

January 1989: Gained Control of LVMH

In January 1989, Bernard Arnault invested an additional $500 million to secure 43.5% of LVMH's shares and 35% of its voting rights, gaining control and becoming chairman of the executive management board on January 13, 1989.

1993: Acquisition of Berluti and Kenzo

In 1993, LVMH acquired Berluti and Kenzo, further diversifying its holdings in the luxury goods market.

1994: LVMH acquired Guerlain

In 1994, LVMH, under Arnault's leadership, acquired the perfume firm Guerlain, enhancing its presence in the beauty industry.

1996: Acquisition of Loewe

In 1996, Bernard Arnault bought out Loewe, adding the brand to LVMH's portfolio.

1997: Bought Marc Jacobs and Sephora

In 1997, Arnault bought out Marc Jacobs and Sephora, further expanding LVMH's reach into fashion and beauty.

1998: Investment in Web Companies

From 1998 to 2001, Arnault invested in various web companies like Boo.com, Libertysurf, and Zebank through his holding Europatweb.

1998: Purchase of Château Cheval Blanc

In 1998, Bernard Arnault, in a personal capacity with Albert Frère, purchased Château Cheval Blanc.

April 1999: Arnault Considered Richest Person in Fashion

In April 1999, Bernard Arnault was recognized as the richest person in the fashion industry, surpassing Zara's Amancio Ortega.

December 1999: Opening of LVMH Tower

In December 1999, the LVMH Tower in New York, supervised by Christian de Portzamparc, opened as a center to manage LVMH's presence in the United States.

1999: Groupe Arnault invested in Netflix

In 1999, Groupe Arnault invested in Netflix.

1999: Thomas Pink Acquisition

In 1999, Thomas Pink was integrated into the LVMH group under Arnault's leadership.

2000: Emilio Pucci Acquisition

In 2000, Emilio Pucci was integrated into the LVMH group under Arnault's leadership.

September 2001: Settlement with Gucci

In September 2001, the legal battle between LVMH and Gucci ended with a settlement, after which LVMH sold its shares and earned $700 million in profit.

2001: Investment in Web Companies

From 1998 to 2001, Arnault invested in various web companies like Boo.com, Libertysurf, and Zebank through his holding Europatweb.

2001: Fendi, DKNY, and La Samaritaine Acquisitions

In 2001, Fendi, DKNY, and La Samaritaine were integrated into the LVMH group under Arnault's leadership.

2006: Arnault Starts Louis Vuitton Foundation Project

In 2006, Bernard Arnault initiated the building project for the Louis Vuitton Foundation, dedicated to creation and contemporary art.

November 2007: Acquisition of Les Échos

In November 2007, Bernard Arnault acquired the French economic newspaper Les Échos for €240 million after selling La Tribune.

2007: Ownership in Carrefour

In 2007, Blue Capital announced that Arnault, jointly with Colony Capital, owned 10.69% of Carrefour, France's largest supermarket retailer.

2008: Entered the Yacht Business

In 2008, Arnault entered the yacht business by purchasing Princess Yachts for 253 million euros, and subsequently took control of Royal van Lent shipyard for an almost identical amount.

2009: LVMH Acquired Arnault's Share in Château Cheval Blanc

In 2009, LVMH acquired Arnault's share in Château Cheval Blanc, adding it to the group's wine properties, including Château d'Yquem.

2010: Member of the Board of Advisors of the Malaysian 1MDB fund

From 2010 until 2013, Arnault was a member of the Board of Advisors of the Malaysian 1MDB fund.

March 2011: Acquisition of Bulgari

On March 7, 2011, Arnault announced the acquisition of 50.4% of the family-owned shares of the Italian jeweler Bulgari, with a tender offer for the rest, in a transaction worth $5.2 billion. Also, in 2011, Arnault invested $641 million in establishing LCapitalAsia.

March 2013: QDA Stores Opening Assistance

On March 7, 2013, National Business Daily reported that mid-priced clothing brand QDA would open stores with the assistance of Arnault's private equity firm LCapitalAsia and Chinese apparel company Xin Hee Co., Ltd. in Beijing.

2013: Member of the Board of Advisors of the Malaysian 1MDB fund

From 2010 until 2013, Arnault was a member of the Board of Advisors of the Malaysian 1MDB fund.

February 2014: Joint Venture with Marco De Vincenzo

In February 2014, Arnault entered into a joint venture with the Italian fashion brand Marco De Vincenzo, acquiring a minority 45% stake in the firm.

October 2014: Grand Opening of the Louis Vuitton Foundation

On 20 October 2014, the Louis Vuitton Foundation, dedicated to creation and contemporary art and designed by Frank Gehry, had its grand opening at the Jardin d'Acclimatation Paris.

2016: Arnault's CEO Compensation

In 2016, Bernard Arnault received €7.8 million as compensation for his role as the CEO of the LVMH group.

2016: LVMH Sold DKNY

In 2016, LVMH, under Arnault's leadership, sold DKNY to G-III Apparel Group.

April 2017: Acquisition of Christian Dior

In April 2017, Arnault announced the acquisition of Christian Dior haute couture, leather, men's and women's ready-to-wear, and footwear lines, integrating the entire Christian Dior brand within LVMH.

2017: Record Sales of €42.6 Billion

In 2017, Bernard Arnault led LVMH to achieve record sales of €42.6 billion, marking a 13% increase from the previous year.

January 2018: Record Sales

By January 2018, Arnault had led the company to record sales of €42.6 billion in 2017, a 13% increase over the previous year. That same year, the net profit increased by 29%.

July 2019: Arnault Becomes Second-Richest Man in the World

In July 2019, Bernard Arnault's net worth reached $103 billion, making him the second-richest man in the world.

November 2019: Planned Acquisition of Tiffany & Co.

In November 2019, Arnault planned to acquire Tiffany & Co. for approximately US$16.2 billion.

December 2019: Arnault Briefly Surpasses Bezos as Richest Person

In December 2019, Bernard Arnault briefly surpassed Jeff Bezos to become the richest person in the world.

January 2020: Arnault Briefly Regains Richest Person Title

In January 2020, Bernard Arnault again briefly surpassed Jeff Bezos to become the richest person in the world for a short time.

June 2020: Expected Closing of Tiffany Deal

In June 2020, the deal to acquire Tiffany & Co. was expected to close, but LVMH later stated that the takeover would not proceed due to Tiffany's handling of the business during the COVID-19 pandemic.

September 2020: Takeover Invalidation

In September 2020, LVMH stated that the takeover of Tiffany & Co. would not proceed, citing Tiffany's handling of the business during the COVID-19 pandemic. Tiffany subsequently filed suit against LVMH.

October 2020: Agreement on Tiffany Takeover Plan

In late October 2020, Tiffany and LVMH reached an agreement on the original takeover plan, albeit at a slightly reduced price of nearly $16 billion.

January 2021: Completed Tiffany Purchase

In January 2021, LVMH successfully completed the purchase of Tiffany & Co.

May 2021: Largest Company in the Eurozone

As of May 2021, under Arnault's leadership, LVMH became the largest company by market capitalization in the Eurozone, reaching a record of 313 billion euros ($382 billion).

August 2021: Arnault Regains Status as World's Wealthiest Person

On August 5, 2021, Bernard Arnault regained the title of the wealthiest person in the world, with his net worth reaching $198.4 billion due to the surge in LVMH's luxury goods sales in China and other parts of Asia.

February 1, 2023: Delphine Arnault Appointed CEO of Dior

On February 1, 2023, Delphine Arnault became the chief executive officer of the luxury brand Dior, marking a significant career milestone within the LVMH group.

April 2023: Arnault Reaches Peak Net Worth and Becomes World's Richest Person

In April 2023, Bernard Arnault and his family achieved an estimated peak net worth of US$240.7 billion, making him the richest person in the world, surpassing Elon Musk at the time.

June 2023: Musk Surpasses Arnault in Net Worth

In June 2023, Elon Musk surpassed Bernard Arnault in net worth with $240 billion, as Arnault's wealth dropped to $190 billion.

May 2024: Arnault's Net Worth in May 2024

According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, in May 2024, Bernard Arnault was the wealthiest person in the world, with a net worth of about US $218 billion.

June 2024: Arnault's Ranking in June 2024

By 14 June 2024, according to Forbes, Elon Musk had regained first place, with Jeff Bezos in second place, and Bernard Arnault, with US$194.2 billion, in third place.