Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Meet the 5 billionaire Arnault children vying to take over their father’s LVMH empire in a real-life ‘Succession’ plot

Meet the 5 billionaire Arnault children vying to take over their father’s LVMH empire in a real-life ‘Succession’ plot

LVMH chief executive Bernard Arnault, the world's third-richest man, is said to be deciding which of his five children will take over the empire.

The company recently moved to raise its age limit for a chief executive officer so Arnault can stay on.

Arnault, 73, has run the luxury conglomerate for decades. His net worth is estimated at $155 billion. LVMH includes fashion brands Louis Vuitton and Christian Dior, champagne producer Moët & Chandon, and watch company TAG Heuer.

The CEO could use this time to think about which one of his children will take over, according to a recent Fortune article. The aging patriarch and his five children vying for power closely mirror HBO's series Succession.

Meet Arnault's five talented children who could one day run LVMH.

Delphine Arnault


The French businesswoman is 46 and the VP of Louis Vuitton. She attended the EDHEC Business School in Lille and the London School of Economics.

She began her career at McKinsey in Paris, where she worked as a consultant for two years and learned strategy, according to the Financial Times. She acquired experience in the fashion industry while working at designer John Galliano’s company in 2000, helping develop the brand.

Between 2001 and 2013, she started working at Christian Dior in the shoe department and rose to deputy managing director for the executive committee. During this time, she oversaw one of the label’s most successful periods, steering the growth of leather goods, accessories, and communication strategies.

Since then, she has become executive vice president of Louis Vuitton and is in charge of supervising the brand’s product-related activities. She follows a calm management style and tends to visit stores when they are at their busiest.

The successful businesswoman also sits on boards such as Château Cheval Blanc, The Saint-Emilion Premier Grand Cru, Les Echos, Loewe, Pucci’s, Celine, Christian Dior, 21st Century Fox, and Repossi. Since 2009, she has been a member of the supervisory board of M6, and in 2013 she joined the supervisory board of Havas.

Delphine is also a supporter of the LVMH Prize, which allows young fashion designers to be coached by LVMH professionals. In 2014 she was also named one of Fortune’s 40 under 40.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4qO91ITy3I

Antoine Arnault


Antoine, 44, is the head of communications and image at LVMH. He is also the chairman of Loro Piana and chief executive of Berluti. The oldest son got his first chief executive role at Berluti, transforming the luxury shoemaker into a menswear label.

In 2002, when Arnault was 25, he cofounded an internet startup and started working in LVMH’s marketing team. He then got his MBA from Insead and, in 2005, rejoined LVMH in the advertising department.

Two years later, he was made director of communications at Louis Vuitton. Under this role, he launched the “core values” campaigns, which featured international figures like Muhammad Ali, Angelina Jolie, Mikhail Gorbachev, and Bono.

In 2011, he launched Les Journées Particulières, in which members of the public were invited to visit the LVMH ateliers and witness the craftsmanship. This festival takes place across 14 countries and encourages LVMH brands to open their doors to the public. He was appointed chairman of Loro Piana two years later, after his father purchased 80% of the cashmere retailer.

In 2018, he took on his current role at LVMH and was tasked with managing the iconic fashion house's image. A year later, after a personal friend bought Laperouse, a historic Parisian restaurant, Arnault took a minority stake.

Like his sister Delphine and his father, he sits on the board of LVMH. According to the Wall Street Journal, he is married to Natalia Vodianova, a Russian model, and is passionate about golf.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BzATXCsoM8I/

Alexandre Arnault


At 29, Alexandre is fluent in French, English, and German, and the VP at Tiffany.

He graduated from Telecom ParisTech and got a master’s in innovation from École Polytechnique. His digital experience has helped the fashion conglomerate launch 24 Sevres, its e-commerce platform.

In 2017, he was appointed to lead the luxury luggage bag maker Rimowa after LVMH announced that it would acquire an 80% stake in the company. This acquisition was a key move as Rimowa was the last luxury luggage brand left on the market after Samsonite acquired Tumi. The brand influenced LVMH’s digital strategy and collaborations with Supreme, Off-White, and Fendi.

In 2019, he took over his father’s seat on the board of directors at Carrefour, the French supermarket chain. Finally, last year he became executive vice president of product and communications at Tiffany & Co.

In that role, Alexandre has already started shaking things up with his contemporary and modern approach. According to the Wall Street Journal, CEO Anthony Ledru described him as 40% analysis and 60% gut feeling, a go-getter that made things happen sooner rather than later. Thanks to him, Jay-Z and Beyoncé agreed to do the “About Love” campaign for the jewelry company, which featured a Tiffany-blue Basquiat painting.

In 2021 he married Géraldine Guyot, a young designer. The union was first celebrated in Paris and then in Venice. A grand ceremony was held and attended by Roger Federer, Pharrell Williams, the Carters, and Kanye West, who also performed.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CUIV6-uI7Uf/

Frédéric Arnault


Frédéric, 27, is the chief executive at TAG Heuer, a luxury watch brand. He studied at the École Polytechnique and ran a mobile payment startup with a friend, which they later sold to BNP. He then joined TAG Heuer full-time as the director of strategy and digital.

When Frédéric was 25, he was named CEO of TAG Heuer, making him the second-youngest Arnault to obtain that position after his brother Alexandre. While he puts a lot of focus into connected watches, which now constitutes 15% of all sales, his main focus is e-commerce, which grew 329% in 2020. It was also thanks to him that TAG Heuer got a key partnership with Porsche.

In 2020 he entered the spotlight after he partnered with Ryan Gosling after taking the reins of TAG Heuer. In the beginning, the partnership seemed unusual because the actor had no social media presence and had never endorsed a product before. However, Frédéric saw an opportunity and finally signed a two-year deal with Gosling after a year and a half of negotiations.

Last year, it reported revenues of $7.1 billion from its watch and jewelry sector in the third quarter.

The young businessman’s history with TAG Heuer dates back to when he was 11 and received a TAG Heuer Aquaracer from his father. In 1999 his father bought the brand, and it has become the most significant watch brand in LVMH’s portfolio.

Frédéric is also a man of many talents and plays the piano and tennis, and is fluent in English, Italian, and German.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B9sBaTsoEyI/

Jean Arnault


At 23, Jean is the director of marketing and development for Louis Vuitton watches. Louis Vuitton launched its watch factory in 2003.

The youngest Arnault got his master's degrees in mechanical engineering from Imperial College London and financial mathematics from MIT. His interest in the watchmaking industry peaked after his brother Frédéric told him about what he was doing at TAG Heuer, and he studied at the label's watch institute.

Even though he just started in the business world, the future is bright.

Jean told the Financial Times that he sees huge potential in mechanical watches during the digital, connected revolution. The more his generation connects their lives with devices, the more they desire something strictly mechanical.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Ca5GcjmrQl7/

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
JD.com Launches €2.2 Billion Bid for German Electronics Retailer Ceconomy
Azerbaijan Proceeds with Plan to Legalise Casinos on Artificial Islands
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
Intel Reports Revenue Beats but Sees 81% Rise in Losses
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
Tulsi Gabbard Unveils Evidence Alleging Political Manipulation of Intelligence During Trump Administration
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Trump Announces Coca-Cola to Shift to Cane Sugar in U.S. Production
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
Moonshot AI Unveils Kimi K2: A New Open-Source AI Model
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Proposes Supplying Arms to Ukraine Through NATO Allies
US Opens First Rare Earth Mine in Over 70 Years in Wyoming
Bitcoin Reaches New Milestone of $116,000
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
Western Europe Records Hottest June on Record
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
France Requests Airlines to Cut Flights at Paris Airports Amid Planned Air Traffic Controller Strike
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
×