Bernard Arnault Unknown Facts

With a net worth of $ 89.7 billion as of June 2019, the luxury giant Bernard Jean Étienne Arnault is the richest man of Europe and currently the fourth richest in the world.  He chairs and runs LVMH, the world’s largest luxury goods company.

Bernard Arnault is also popularly known as the “Pope Of Fashion.”

Here are some unknown facts about him.

1) Bernard Arnault, the owner of the luxury empire LVMH, first realised the value of a brand at the age of 21 in the U.S.A., when a taxi driver he hired identified France with nothing else but Christian Dior.

2) In 2008, he expanded his empire by purchasing Princess Yachts, one of Britain’s leading motor boat companies.  He followed it up with the purchase of Royal Van Lent in the same year.

3) Bernard Arnault is not only the owner of LVMH, but also the proud owner of a private island.  His private island is called Indigo Island and is worth $ 35 million. Spread over an area of 133 acres, this island has a number of hilltop villas, beaches and tennis courts.  Arnault love tennis and is often seen playing the sport to keep himself fit. His favourite tennis player is Roger Federer.

4) Bernard Arnault married Anne Dewaverin in 1973. Their marriage lasted for seventeen years after which they went their separate ways in 1990. Arnault remarried Hélène Mercier in 1991. Arnault has 5 children from his two marriages.

5)  Arnault is a trained pianist and is known to play piano in his free time.  In fact, Arnaults’s second wife is also a Canadian concert-piano player.

6) In the year 2007, Bernard Arnault was awarded the title of Commander of the French Legion Of Honour. This award has five rankings of which Commander is the third.

7) Arnault was honoured with the title of Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire in the year 2012.  He is allowed to use KBE after his initials because of this.

8) Bernard Arnault’s autobiography, titled The Creative Passion, is one among the bestselling books of France. This book highlights his personal life and his take on money and success.  

9) For charity, Arnault does not donate sums of money, instead he believes in offering people what they actually need. He is known to supply violins to talented musicians and also helps young creative minds by encouraging them to pursue their dreams.  

10) Arnault is a noted art collector and as a result, built a $ 135 million Louis Vuitton Foundation museum near Paris.  He also started the “LVMH Young Fashion Designer” as a competition for students.

With his hard work and perseverance, Arnault managed to amass a huge luxury empire with more than 70 luxury brands under LVMH.

Comment and let us know which of these facts impressed you the most.