Who Is Bernard Arnault and What Companies Does He Control
Bernard Arnault is the chairman and CEO of LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, the world's largest luxury goods conglomerate. He controls LVMH through his family holding company, Groupe Arnault, and through his stake in Christian Dior SE. He has been the richest person in the world for multiple consecutive years, with his wealth driven almost entirely by his LVMH and Dior holdings. His control spans luxury fashion, wines and spirits, cosmetics, watches, jewelry, and selective retailing.
Groupe Arnault manages the Arnault family's interests in LVMH and other investments. Through this structure, Bernard Arnault holds a significant direct and indirect stake in LVMH shares. He also controls a major stake in Christian Dior SE, which in turn holds a large block of LVMH shares. This cross-shareholding structure gives him effective voting control over LVMH without requiring a majority of its equity. He remains the dominant shareholder and the key decision-maker across the group.
LVMH Portfolio of Brands and Businesses
LVMH operates through seven major business segments: Fashion and Leather Goods, Watches and Jewelry, Perfumes and Cosmetics, Selective Retailing, Wines and Spirits, and Other activities. The Fashion and Leather Goods division includes brands such as Louis Vuitton, Dior, Givenchy, Celine, Loewe, Kenzo, and Loro Piana. The Watches and Jewelry segment houses TAG Heuer, Hublot, Zenith, and Bulgari. The Perfumes and Cosmetics division includes Dior Parfums, Guerlain, Benefit Cosmetics, and Fresh.
The Wines and Spirits segment includes Moët & Chandon, Dom Pérignon, Veuve Clicquot, Krug, and Ruinart. Selective Retailing is led by Le Bon Marché and includes DFS and a stake in La Samaritaine. Other notable holdings include Sephora, Stella McCartney through a minority stake, and a significant stake in Hermes. LVMH also owns a large stake in the Italian luxury group Prada and a stake in the luxury cruise company Ponant. The group reported total revenue of over 86 billion euros in 2024 and employs more than 160,000 people worldwide.
Bernard Arnault's Other Key Investments and Corporate Structure
Beyond LVMH and Dior, Bernard Arnault holds stakes in several other major companies. Through Groupe Arnault and family-controlled entities, he has invested in companies across technology, media, and finance. He has also made strategic investments in private equity and real estate. His investment portfolio is managed through a mix of direct holdings, holding companies, and family office structures designed for long-term control and tax efficiency. He also maintains a significant art collection and funds cultural institutions through his family foundations.
Christian Dior SE is structured as a listed holding company that holds a major stake in LVMH and operates the Dior fashion brand. Bernard Arnault controls Dior SE through his majority voting power in the company. He also has a long-standing partnership with the Arnault family's stake in the Italian luxury group Prada through a long-term equity investment. His corporate structure is designed to maintain voting control while limiting direct public disclosure of every asset. For more details on LVMH's structure and holdings, see the official LVMH investor relations page at https://www.lvmh.com/en/investors and for his profile, see https://www.forbes.com/profile/bernard-arnault/.