Featured
Arnault Gets $4.3 Billion Richer in a Day, Closing In on Buffett
Bernard Arnault, the world’s fourth-richest person, added $4.3 to his fortune Wednesday as Chinese consumers’ growing appetite for handbags and Hennessy cognac boosted results at LVMH.
Shares of his Paris-based luxury-goods maker surged 6.9 percent, the most since mid-2016, as fourth-quarter profit topped analysts’ estimates on strong demand from China, the world’s second-largest economy. Arnault controls about half of LVMH through a family holding company, Groupe Arnault SE.
His wealth has surged $8.3 billion since the start of the year and now stands at $76.9 billion, putting him within striking distance of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. Chairman Warren Buffett, who’s currently ranked third on the Bloomberg Billionaires Index with $84.8 billion. Amazon.com Inc. founder Jeff Bezos, the world’s richest person, added $6.1 billion to his net worth Wednesday, while No. 2 Bill Gates, the Microsoft Inc. co-founder, gained $889.4 million.
LVMH’s stake in luxury fashion house Cristian Dior SE comprises most of Arnault’s fortune. Bernard Arnault moved into luxury goods in 1984, taking over the bankrupt textile group that owned Christian Dior. He sold the company’s other businesses and used the proceeds to buy a controlling stake in LVMH. Last month, the company agreed to acquire high-end hotel operator Belmond Ltd. in a deal that values the owner of New York’s ‘21’ Club at $2.6 billion.
Arnault has never ranked higher than fourth on the Bloomberg wealth ranking, which could see more of a shakeup near the top Thursday. Shares of Mark Zuckerberg’s Facebook Inc. surged 12 percent in extended trading at 5:25 p.m. in New York after the company posted sales and profit that smashed estimates. Zuckerberg, currently the world’s seventh-richest person, is poised to jump to No. 5, leapfrogging Spain’s Amancio Ortega and Mexico’s Carlos Slim.
-
Artificial Intelligence1 month agoTop 5 Interesting Things AI Did This Month – September 2026 Edition
-
Economy4 weeks agoOER Magazine September Edition 2026
-
Fashion4 weeks agoLuxury Watches That Could Appreciate Over the Next Decade [2026 Auction Buyer Guide]
-
Banking & Finance2 months agoThe GCC’s 10 Richest Billionaires: Inside US$253.5 Billion of Wealth
-
Alamaliktistaad Magazines3 weeks agoAlam Al-Iktisaad Magazine September 2026 Edition
-
Banking & Finance2 months agoINVESTIGATION: What If You Bought Apple Stock Every Time You Bought an iPhone?
-
News2 months agoOPEC+ Holds Output Steady for October as Focus Shifts to 2027 Quotas
-
Artificial Intelligence1 month agoWhat the World’s Top 10 Tech CEOs Really Earn

You must be logged in to post a comment Login