LVMH owner Bernard Arnault tops Bloomberg Billionaires Index

Bernard Arnault, the 74-year-old Chairman and CEO of LVMH Moët Hennessy – Louis Vuitton, has emerged as the world’s richest person, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. With a net worth of $201 billion, Arnault has surpassed other prominent figures such as Elon Musk, thanks to his luxury products empire holding up better than the tech fortunes that dominate the ranking.

Born on March 5, 1949, in Roubaix, France, Arnault attended the Roubaix lycée, the Faidherbe lycée in Lille, and later studied at the Ecole polytechnique. He began his professional career as an engineer with the Ferret-Savinel construction company, eventually becoming its Chairman in 1978. In 1984, Arnault undertook the reorganization of the Financière Agache holding company, returning it to profitability and laying the foundation for the world’s leading luxury products company.

In 1989, Arnault became the majority shareholder of LVMH Moët Hennessy – Louis Vuitton, creating the world’s leading…