PARIS (Realist English). French luxury magnate Bernard Arnault, chairman and CEO of LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, saw his net worth soar by nearly $19 billion (€16.3 billion) on Wednesday after a rally in the group’s shares, following stronger-than-expected quarterly results.
According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, Arnault’s total fortune rose to $192 billion (€164.8 billion) — a 12% increase driven by renewed investor confidence in the world’s largest luxury conglomerate. The surge places him as the richest individual outside the United States.
Forbes, which valued his wealth slightly lower at $181.8 billion (€156.6 billion), ranks Arnault seventh globally on its Real-Time Billionaires List.
LVMH’s market capitalization climbed to just under €300 billion, making it Europe’s second most valuable listed company after Dutch semiconductor firm ASML.
Strong performance in Asia drives optimism
The share rally followed LVMH’s upbeat second-quarter earnings, which exceeded analysts’ forecasts. The company cited a recovery in Chinese demand and improving sales across most of Asia — though Japan remained a notable exception.
“The rest of the Asian market, dominated by China, saw a noticeable improvement in trends over the first nine months compared with 2024,” LVMH said in its statement.
LVMH shares rose as high as €598.90 on Wednesday, up from the previous day’s close, though still below the record €752 reached earlier this year.
Political tensions and economic backdrop
Arnault’s windfall comes as France faces mounting fiscal challenges and political turbulence. The French government is struggling to address a budget deficit of 5.8% of GDP and public debt exceeding 113% of GDP, the highest in over a decade.
The billionaire recently sparked debate after criticizing economist Gabriel Zucman, who has called for heavier taxation on France’s wealthy elite as part of a broader fiscal reform effort.
Despite domestic unrest, LVMH’s results highlight the resilience of global luxury demand, especially in Asia, where easing economic pressures and consumer confidence have lifted sales.
LVMH shares were mostly flat in early Thursday trading in Paris, as investors took profits after the previous day’s rally.
