History of Bernard Arnault in Timeline
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.
March 1949: Bernard Arnault's Birth
Bernard Jean Étienne Arnault was born in March 1949, in Roubaix, France. His mother, Marie-Josèphe Savinel, had a "fascination for Dior", and his father, Jean Léon Arnault, owned the civil engineering company Ferret-Savinel.
March 1949: Birth of Bernard Arnault
In March 1949, Bernard Jean Étienne Arnault was born. He later became a prominent French businessman and the chairman and CEO of LVMH.
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.
1973: Marriage to Anne Dewavrin
In 1973, Bernard Arnault married Anne Dewavrin, and they had two children together.
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.
1990: Separation from Anne Dewavrin
In 1990, Bernard Arnault and Anne Dewavrin separated.
1991: Marriage to Hélène Mercier
In 1991, Bernard Arnault married Hélène Mercier, a Canadian-born concert pianist.
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: Arnault Acquires Phillips de Pury & Company
From 1999, Bernard Arnault owned Phillips de Pury & Company, an art auction house.
1999: Groupe Arnault invested in Netflix
In 1999, Groupe Arnault invested in Netflix.
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.
2003: Arnault No Longer Owns Phillips de Pury & Company
As of 2003, Bernard Arnault no longer owned Phillips de Pury & Company, an art auction house.
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.
2008: Arnault Establishes Protectinvest Foundation
In 2008, Bernard Arnault established Protectinvest, a private foundation in Belgium. This foundation was created to protect the integrity of the LVMH group until 2023, and also restricted the Arnault children's ability to sell shares in Pilinvest until 2023.
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.
December 2011: Transfer of Groupe Arnault Stake to Pilinvest
In December 2011, Bernard Arnault transferred a 31 percent stake in Groupe Arnault, valued at €6.5 billion, to Pilinvest.
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.
April 2013: Arnault Addresses Belgian Citizenship Plans
In April 2013, Bernard Arnault clarified that he had been misquoted regarding his plans to apply for Belgian citizenship and stated he never intended to leave France.
April 2013: Arnault Abandons Application for Belgian Citizenship
On 10 April 2013, Bernard Arnault announced he had decided to abandon his application for Belgian citizenship to avoid misinterpretations as tax evasion, amidst France's economic challenges.
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.
2015: Sale of Research Vessel Amadeus
In late 2015, Bernard Arnault sold his 70 m (230 ft) converted research vessel named Amadeus.
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.
2017: Arnault Publicly Supports Emmanuel Macron
In 2017, Bernard Arnault publicly supported Emmanuel Macron in the second round of the French presidential election.
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.
November 2020: Tiffany payout
By November 2020, some US$70 million had already been paid out by Tiffany, with an additional US$70 million scheduled to be paid.
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).
October 2022: LVMH Sells Private Jet After Flight Tracking
In October 2022, Bernard Arnault stated that LVMH sold its private jet after a Twitter user began tracking its flights, and that he began renting private aircraft instead. The aircraft was a Bombardier Global 7500 which was registered F-GVMA.
2022: Arnault Changes Legal Structure of Agache
In 2022, Bernard Arnault changed the legal structure of Agache from a Societas Europaea to a joint-stock partnership to ensure continued family control over LVMH in the long term.
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.
2023: Restriction on Pilinvest Shares Ends
In 2023, the restrictions on the Arnault children's ability to sell shares in Pilinvest, which had been put in place by the Protectinvest foundation, came to an end.
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.
May 2025: Net Worth Estimation
As of May 2025, Bernard Arnault's net worth is estimated to be US$148.7 billion according to Forbes and US$155 billion according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.
2025: Arnault Attended Second Inauguration of Donald Trump
In 2025, Bernard Arnault attended the second inauguration of Donald Trump.
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