Skip to main content
BoF Logo

Agenda-setting intelligence, analysis and advice for the global fashion community.

The Business of Fashion
Financial Markets

Bernard Arnault Tops Zara's Ortega as World's Fourth-Richest Person

The chairman of LVMH is now worth $70.7 billion, the most of any European.
LVMH chairman Bernard Arnault.
LVMH chairman Bernard Arnault. (Courtesy)
By
  • Bloomberg

PARIS, France — It has been a roller coaster ride for the planet's richest people this week as tariffs and tech roiled markets.

Bernard Arnault, chairman of luxury-goods maker LVMH, reached a new level of rich as his Christian Dior SE rose to a record Thursday, making him the fourth-wealthiest person, surpassing Spaniard Amancio Ortega on the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

The Frenchman is now worth $70.7 billion, the most of any European.

By Devon Pendleton, with assistance from Tom Metcalf; editors: Pierre Paulden and Peter Eichenbaum.

© 2026 The Business of Fashion. All rights reserved. For more information read our Terms & Conditions

More from Financial Markets
A financial lens on the fast-changing fashion sector, including markets, investors and deals.

L Catterton: Finding Value in a Tough Market

Nikhil Thukral, managing partner at the LVMH-affiliated private equity fund, talks about the ingredients of winning companies, the dynamics challenging fashion's incumbents and how economic shifts are shaping investor strategies in the BoF-McKinsey State of Fashion 2025.

The Best of BoF 2023: Diversity’s Litmus Test

In 2020, like many companies, the $50 billion yoga apparel brand created a new department to improve internal diversity and inclusion, and to create a more equitable playing field for minorities. In interviews with BoF, 14 current and former employees said things only got worse.

The Year Ahead: The Future of Fashion Deal-Making

For fashion’s private market investors, deal-making may provide less-than-ideal returns and raise questions about the long-term value creation opportunities across parts of the fashion industry, reports The State of Fashion 2024.

view more
Latest News & Analysis
Unrivalled, world class journalism across fashion, luxury and beauty industries.

Estée Lauder’s Surprise Acquisition, Explained

The American cosmetic giant’s buyout of Ayurvedic beauty line Forest Essentials came as a surprise. By picking an under-the-radar brand it knows well, the company can show that it’s still in the M&A game without needing to outbid rivals.

VIEW MORE

The Business of Fashion

Agenda-setting intelligence, analysis and advice for the global fashion community.
CONNECT WITH US ON
© 2026 The Business of Fashion. All rights reserved. For more information read our Terms & Conditions, Privacy Policy, Cookie Policy and Accessibility Statement.