Top line
Alexandre Arnault, the son of luxury goods group LVMH CEO Bernard Arnault, the world’s fifth-richest person as of Thursday, has been named executive vice president of the company’s Moët Hennessy brand, a move following his four-year stint revamping Tiffany & Co. A brand that positions him as a contender to succeed his father as head of LVMH.
Alexandre Arnault had previously led Tiffany & Co. for four years. (Photo by John Kobaloff/Getty Images… [+] For Tiffany & Co.)
Getty Images for Tiffany & Co. Basic facts
The Wall Street Journal reported that Arnault, 32, announced in a post on social media that he would head to the wine and spirits division at LVMH, becoming the first of Bernard Arnault’s five children to work in a senior role in the wine and spirits division.
Like Bernard Arnault’s other children, Alexandre has held various leadership positions under the LVMH umbrella, including executive vice president of Tiffany & Co. since 2021, and CEO of luxury luggage company Rimowa before that.
Under Arnault’s leadership, Tiffany & Co.’s revenues rose, making it the largest contributor to LVMH’s growth, and the brand renovated its flagship store on Fifth Avenue in New York.
Alexandre is Bernard Arnault’s middle son, the youngest of two eldest children — Delphine Arnault, 49, CEO of Dior, and Antoine Arnault, 47, Dior’s first CEO — from his first marriage to Anne Deoavrin.
Arnault is the eldest son from his father’s second marriage to Hélène Mercier Arnault, followed by Frédéric, 29, CEO of LVMH Watches, and Jean, 26, who also leads Louis Vuitton’s watch business.
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The wealth of Bernard Arnault and his family is estimated at $158.7 billion, making Arnault the fifth richest man in the world as of Thursday morning. The LVMH empire includes fashion brands such as Dior, Sephora, Loewe and Marc Jacobs. Arnault’s net worth has declined this year as his business has slowed. His net worth has previously exceeded $200 million, making him the richest person in the world at various points last year and this year.
What are Alexandre Arnault’s relationships with celebrities, including Donald Trump?
Arnault is known for his connections with celebrities, which he used while at Tiffany in marketing campaigns. He has collaborated several times with Beyoncé and Jay-Z, with whom he launched Tiffany’s “About Love” advertising campaign in 2021. For the campaign, Beyoncé wore the brand’s signature 128-carat yellow diamond, making her the first Black woman and the fourth Black woman. Someone in history wore it. She also wore custom designs from Tiffany & Co. on her Renaissance World Tour last year and attended Arnault’s wedding in 2021. Other celebrities Arnault has chosen for Tiffany & Co. collaborations include: Kendrick Lamar, who wore a diamond crown of thorns on the cover of his cover. 2022 album “Mr Morale & The Big Steppers” plus Pharrell Williams and Hailey Bieber. Arnault also flaunts his relationships with celebrities on his social media accounts, and has posted photos of himself socializing with Elon Musk, LeBron James, Usain Bolt and Gal Gadot. Last year, rapper Kid Cudi posted a photo of a Tiffany & Co. bracelet given to him for his birthday by Arnaud, whom he described as a “truly special friend.” Arnault also has ties to Donald Trump and his family, having recently attended a controversial Trump campaign rally at Madison Square Garden, Book News reported. Trump and Arnault have met on multiple occasions, including a dinner last year at Mar-a-Lago, which Trump posted on Truth Social. “He is a young man on the move, the son of one of the great businessmen and leaders of Europe and the world,” Trump wrote of Arnault, saying they discussed Tiffany & Co.’s acquisition of a storefront formerly occupied by Nike in 2016. New York City near Trump Tower. Trump also met Arnoult and his father in 2019 at a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the new Louis Vuitton workshop in Johnson County, Texas.
What do we know about Arnault’s succession plans?
Speculation has increased about who might take over the management of the group owned by Bernard Arnault (75 years old), who has not revealed his succession plans. Arnault has not confirmed that his eventual successor will be one of his children, telling the New York Times last year: “It is neither an obligation, nor an inevitability, that a child will be my successor,” referring to “the best person inside or outside the family.” The family must be my successor one day. In a move to prevent a split between his potential heirs last year, Arnault is said to have created a new holding company whose control will be divided equally between his five children, and which has the power to make subsequent decisions affecting LVMH. Arnault also brushed off comparisons to the hit HBO series “Succession,” in which the sons of a media mogul fight for control of his business empire.
Further reading
Bernard Arnault built a luxury empire on the basis of “desire.” Who will inherit it? (New York Times)
Meet the mastermind behind Tiffany & Co.’s new direction (Vogue)
