Meet LVMH’s Bernard Arnault – the third-richest person in the world – who has pledged US$226 million to help rebuild Notre Dame
- The Frenchman, worth an estimated US$80 billion, has joined forces with others to raise funds to restore the cathedral to its full glory following a fire on Monday night
French businessman Bernard Arnault – the richest person in Europe – has just pledged US$226 million (€200 million) to help rebuild the 800-year-old Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris following a massive blaze that broke out on Monday evening, damaging the famous landmark’s spire and roof.
Collectively, France's superrich have already pledged over US$450 million towards Notre Dame’s repairs.
As well as being the richest person in Europe, Arnault recently overtook Warren Buffett to become the third-richest person in the world, after Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates, according to the latest Bloomberg Billionaires Index, published on March 6, 2019.
He’s worth an estimated US$83.1 billion, Bloomberg says.
As the chairman and CEO of LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton, known simply as LVMH, the world’s largest maker of luxury goods, he is also the richest person in the fashion industry.
Bernard Arnault, CEO of LVMH, made US$4.3 billion in a single day in January 2019 after LVMH shares surged 6.9 per cent
LVMH sells products that include Louis Vuitton handbags, Dom Perignon champagne, TAG Heuer watches and Rimowa luxury suitcases.
Arnault is getting richer at an astonishing rate. In January 2019, he made US$4.3 billion in a single day after LVMH shares surged 6.9 per cent.
Between the end of January and February 27, he added another US$3.9 billion to his fortune.
Arnault has never ranked third on the Bloomberg wealth ranking before.
Today four of Arnault's five children are part of the LVMH empire.