BERNARD ARNAULT

QUICK FACTFILE French businessman the world's 7th richest person the founder, chairman, and CEO of LVMH turned Vuitton and Dior into highly profitable global businesses

BUSINESS AREA LVMH - consisting of over fifty luxury brands, including Louis Vuitton, Dior, and Fendi LVMH has had a strong growth dynamic since its creation in 1987 The Group is active in five different sectors: Wines & Spirits Fashion & Leather Goods Perfumes & Cosmetics Watches & Jewelry Selective retailing

FAMILY born into a family of entrepreneurs at age 7 he visited building sites with his grandfather has been married twice to:Anne Dewavrin, Hélène Mercier five children:Delphine Arnault Gancia, Antoine Arnault, Hélène Mercier, Alexandre, Frederic Arnault hopes his three younger sons will step into the business

EDUCATION graduated from the Maxence Van Der Meersch High School was admitted to the École Polytechnique - graduated with an engineering degree in 1971 joined his father's company in 1979, he succeeded his father as president of the company

FIRST BUSINESS SUCCESS setting up LVMH enabled him to be familiar globally At 35, he bought Boussac, a bankrupt French textile group stripped Boussac down to Dior and used it as a vehicle to create LVMH in 1989, Arnault accomplished his objective of creating the world's leading luxury products group

OPINION I believe that Bernard Arnault became a successful business man because of his hard work, because he was confident in his ability to make good decisions and because he knew that becoming successful meant risking, like when he bought a bankrupt company.-Simona Voica