Bernard Arnault is the world’s richest person, according to Forbes’ latest list of billionaires. The French businessman, who is the CEO of luxury goods giant LVMH, has a net worth of $196 billion, surpassing Elon Musk’s estimated $185 billion.
Arnault’s wealth has grown exponentially over the past year, as the stock price of LVMH has more than doubled since the start of 2021. This has pushed him past Bezos, who had been the world’s richest person since 2017.
Arnault’s success is due in part to his savvy investments in luxury brands like Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior, and Bulgari. He has also been an early adopter of digital technologies, investing in companies like Farfetch and Yoox Net-A-Porter.
This isn’t the first time Arnault has topped the list. The CEO has been ranked among the world’s top 10 richest people for several years now. In 2021, he overtook Amazon.com’s (AMZN) Jeff Bezos as richest man more than once.
Arnault is also known for his philanthropy. He has donated millions of euros to support medical research, education, and the arts. He has also made significant investments in renewable energy and sustainable development.
Estimating a person’s net worth is far from a precise science. But it’s clear that Bernard Arnault is one of the wealthiest people in the world. He is likely to remain at the top of the list for some time to come.
