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 who serves as the chairman and CEO of LVMH, the world's largest luxury goods company. As of December 2025, he is one of the wealthiest people globally, with a net worth estimated at around US$190-203 billion. His leadership has propelled LVMH to the forefront of the luxury market, encompassing a diverse portfolio of prestigious brands.

Sections (4)

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

1971: Began career at Ferret-Savinel

Bernard Arnault began his career in 1971 at Ferret-Savinel.

1971: Started working for his father's company

In 1971, soon after graduation, 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.

1984: Acquisition of Boussac Saint-Frères

In 1984, Bernard Arnault acquired the struggling textile and retail conglomerate Boussac Saint-Frères, which included Christian Dior.

1984: Heard about Boussac Saint-Frères

In 1984, Bernard Arnault learned that the French government was seeking someone to take over Boussac Saint-Frères, which owned Christian Dior.

1987: Company Profitable Again

By 1987, after acquiring Boussac Saint-Frères and restructuring its assets, the company became profitable again, booking earnings of $112 million on revenue of $1.9 billion.

1987: Formation of LVMH

In 1987, Bernard Arnault collaborated with Alain Chevalier (CEO of Moët Hennessy) and Henry Racamier (president of Louis Vuitton) to establish LVMH.

July 1988: Acquisition of Céline

In July 1988, Bernard Arnault acquired Céline.

July 1988: Investment in LVMH shares

In July 1988, Bernard Arnault provided $1.6 billion to form a holding company with Guinness that held 24% of LVMH's shares.

January 1989: Gained Control of LVMH shares

In January 1989, Bernard Arnault spent another $500 million to gain control of a total of 43.5% of LVMH's shares and 35% of its voting rights.

1993: Bought French economic newspaper La Tribune

In 1993, Bernard Arnault bought out the French economic newspaper La Tribune, investing 150 million euros.

1993: Acquisitions of Berluti and Kenzo

In 1993, LVMH acquired Berluti and Kenzo.

1994: Acquisition of Guerlain

In 1994, LVMH acquired the perfume firm Guerlain.

1996: Acquisition of Loewe

In 1996, Bernard Arnault bought out Loewe.

1997: Acquisitions of Marc Jacobs and Sephora

In 1997, Arnault bought out Marc Jacobs and Sephora.

1998: Investments in web companies

From 1998, Bernard Arnault invested in web companies such as Boo.com, Libertysurf, and Zebank through his holding Europatweb.

1998: Purchase of Château Cheval Blanc

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

April 1999: Arnault considered richest person in fashion, Pilinvest established

In April 1999, Bernard Arnault was considered the richest person in fashion, surpassing Amancio Ortega of Zara. Also in 1999, he established Pilinvest, a holding company based in Belgium.

December 1999: Opening of the LVMH Tower

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

1999: Investment in Netflix

In 1999, Groupe Arnault invested in Netflix.

1999: Acquisition of Thomas Pink

In 1999, Thomas Pink was integrated into the LVMH group.

2000: Acquisition of Emilio Pucci

In 2000, Emilio Pucci was integrated into the LVMH group.

September 2001: Settlement in Gucci fight

In September 2001, the legal fight with Gucci ended in a settlement, and LVMH sold its shares, making a $700 million profit.

2001: Acquisitions of Fendi, DKNY, and La Samaritaine

In 2001, Fendi, DKNY, and La Samaritaine were integrated into the LVMH group.

2001: Investments in web companies

Until 2001, Bernard Arnault invested in web companies such as Boo.com, Libertysurf, and Zebank through his holding Europatweb.

2006: Louis Vuitton Foundation building project started

In 2006, Bernard Arnault started the building project of the Louis Vuitton Foundation, designed by Frank Gehry.

November 2007: Acquisition of Les Échos

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

2007: Investment in Carrefour

In 2007, Blue Capital announced that Bernard Arnault owned, jointly with Colony Capital, 10.69% of Carrefour.

2008: Entered the yacht business

In 2008, Bernard Arnault entered the yacht business and bought 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 Bernard Arnault's share in Château Cheval Blanc to add to the group's other wine property Château d'Yquem.

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

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

March 2011: Acquisition of Bulgari

On 7 March 2011, Bernard Arnault announced the acquisition of 50.4% of family-owned shares of the Italian jeweler Bulgari, to make a tender offer for the rest.

March 2013: QDA to Open Stores

On 7 March 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

Until 2013, Bernard 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, Bernard Arnault entered into a joint venture with the Italian fashion brand Marco De Vincenzo, taking 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 compensation as CEO of LVMH

In 2016, Bernard Arnault was paid €7.8 million as the CEO of the LVMH group.

2016: LVMH Sold DKNY

In 2016, LVMH sold DKNY to G-III Apparel Group.

April 2017: Acquisition of Christian Dior

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

2017: Record sales in 2017

In 2017, Bernard Arnault had led the company to record sales of €42.6 billion, 13% over the previous year, as all divisions turned in strong performances. That same year, the net profit increased by 29%.

January 2018: Record sales in 2017

By January 2018, Bernard Arnault had led the company to record sales of €42.6 billion in 2017, 13% over the previous year, as all divisions turned in strong performances.

July 2019: Arnault becomes second-richest man in the world

In July 2019, Bernard Arnault became the second-richest man in the world, with a net worth of $103 billion.

November 2019: Planned acquisition of Tiffany & Co.

In November 2019, Bernard 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 surpasses Bezos as richest person again

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

June 2020: Expected closing of Tiffany & Co. deal

In June 2020, the Tiffany & Co. deal was expected to close.

September 2020: Takeover would not proceed

In September 2020, LVMH stated that the Tiffany & Co. takeover would not proceed and that the deal was 'invalid' because of Tiffany's handling of the business during the COVID-19 pandemic.

October 2020: Agreement to the original takeover plan

In late October 2020, Tiffany and LVMH agreed to the original takeover plan, though at a slightly reduced price of nearly $16 billion.

November 2020: Tiffany was paying millions in dividends to shareholders

In November 2020, Tiffany was paying millions in dividends to shareholders despite a financial loss of US$32 million during the pandemic

January 2021: Completed the purchase of Tiffany

In January 2021, LVMH completed the purchase of Tiffany.

May 2021: Largest company in the eurozone

As of May 2021, under Bernard Arnault's leadership, LVMH has grown to become the largest company by market capitalization in the eurozone, with a record of 313 billion euros ($382 billion).

August 2021: Arnault regains title of wealthiest man

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

2022: Forbes estimates Arnault family fortune, Agache legal structure changed

In 2022, Forbes estimated the Bernard Arnault & family fortune to be $158 billion. In 2022, Arnault also changed the legal structure of Agache from a Societas Europaea to a joint-stock partnership.

February 1, 2023: Delphine Arnault becomes CEO of Dior

On February 1, 2023, Delphine Arnault became the chief executive officer of the luxury brand Dior.

April 2023: Arnault becomes richest person in the world

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