In the House of Arnault, a real-life Succession story is unfolding among the five children of the world’s richest man, Bernard Arnault. As of April 2023, the CEO and chairman of LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton is worth $223 billion. At 74 years old, the French billionaire runs the biggest luxury goods conglomerate in the world, which managed to come out of the pandemic stronger than before.
The “wolf in cashmere” is who Logan Roy wished he could be—and he’s not even fictional. In the business of fashion, the wily businessman owns pretty much everything, from Christian Dior to Fenty Beauty. There is no name more powerful than Arnault, but the world of fashion waits with bated breath for the moment Bernard names his successor.
Although, like Logan, Bernard has shown no interest in retiring anytime soon, but at 74, it’s becoming more evident that the wolf in cashmere can’t live forever. LVMH has established itself as a family business, and only those of his blood will have a shot at inheriting the top job at LVMH. And despite the fact that most of his children are over 30, it’s still not clear who has Bernard’s favor.
But a decision might be on the horizon soon. According to the Wall Street Journal, Arnault has been low-key auditioning his children for the top job. Like a scene from Succession, Arnault gathers his five children every month for a 90-minute private lunch at LVMH headquarters. The lunch, we suspect, is a performance—a chance for his kids to showcase their business acumen and ruthlessness.
But unlike the Roys in Succession, the Arnaults have managed to stay scandal free. The low-key family, who scream quiet luxury, are all educated, cultured, and talented. But with a father like Bernard, we suspect they didn’t have much of a choice. It’s a good thing too because the elder Arnault has stated more than once that his successor will be chosen on merit. Despite the blatant nepotism in their appointments, the Arnault offspring will have to prove themselves. And some of them already have a head start.
The Arnault Offspring
- Delphine Arnault, 48: CEO and Chair of Dior, Director and Executive Vice President of Louis Vuitton
- Antoine Arnault, 45: CEO of Christian Dior SE, the LVMH holding company
- Alexandre Arnault, 30: Executive Vice President of Tiffany & Co.
- Frederic Arnault, 28: CEO of Tag Heuer
- Jean Arnault, 24: Director of Marketing and Development of Watches at Louis Vuitton
Delphine Arnault
Delphine Arnault, 48, is the eldest child and only daughter of the world’s richest man. Born to Bernard and his first wife, Anne Dewavrin, Delphine has a strong chance of being named her father’s successor. Compared to her siblings, Delphine has had decades of experience working closely with LVMH’s most valued brands. For over a decade, Delphine was an executive vice president of Louis Vuitton, LVMH’s biggest brand, and is currently the CEO of Dior, LVMH’s second biggest brand. Delphine has the most experience in management and consultancy.
On a larger scale, Delphine sits on LVMH’s board of directors and executive committee. She was the youngest member, and only second woman, to join the board.
Antoine Arnault
In the patriarchal world of business, Antoine Arnault has a good shot at winning the top spot. The 45-year-old started his career at LVMH in 2005 in the advertising department before becoming the director of communications at Louis Vuitton. He launched a number of famous campaigns for LV featuring Angelina Jolie, Muhammad Ali, and Mikhail Gorbachev. He currently heads the conglomerate’s communications strategy and sustainability efforts, but his most notable position at present is CEO of Christian Dior SE, the family’s holding company for LVMH.
Antoine’s experience focuses heavily on marketing and communications, but his new position at the holding company could be his father’s way of testing his management and business acumen.
Alexandre Arnault
Born to Arnault and his second wife, Helene Mercer, Alexandre Arnault is currently the Arnault offspring getting the most press. At 30 years old, Alexandre has collaborated closely with Hollywood and fashion’s elite squad, which includes big names like Jay-Z, Beyonce, Rihanna, and Roger Federer. The most “millennial” of his siblings, Alexandra helped facilitate his father’s acquisition of Rimowa, which he later led for four years as CEO. And after Tiffany & Co. joined the LVMH group, Alexandre was brought in the turn the company around as executive vice president of product and communications.
As the eldest of the “younger” kids (Bernard’s children with Mercer), Alexandre represents LVMH’s new blood.
Frederic Arnault
Frederic Arnault was only 25 years old when his father appointed him as CEO of TAG Heuer, one of the most valuable watch brands in the world. The only child to attend their father’s alma mater, Ecole Polytechnique, Frederic started his career at TAG as the head of connected technologies before moving up to become the director of strategy and digital. He eventually became CEO and has since pivoted TAG’s focus to e-commerce and retail.
Jean Arnault
Like his brother Frederic, Jean joined LVMH fresh out of college. He immediately became the head of marketing and development of watches at Louis Vuitton. Jean shares a closer relationship to his brother Frederic, which explains why he followed in his footsteps to join an LVMH watch division. Prior to LVMH, he interned at Morgan Stanley and McLaren Racing.
This story originally appeared on Esquiremag.ph. Minor edits have been made by the Preview.ph editors.
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