Future Retirement Success
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Investing
  • Stocks
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Investing
  • Stocks

Future Retirement Success

Business

Bernard Arnault looks to extend LVMH leadership until he’s 85

by March 14, 2025
March 14, 2025
Bernard Arnault looks to extend LVMH leadership until he’s 85

Bernard Arnault, the 76-year-old chairman and chief executive of luxury giant LVMH, is asking shareholders to change the company’s rules so he can remain in charge until he turns 85. The current age limit for the dual role is 80, having already been raised from 75 in 2022.

Arnault has built LVMH into a European powerhouse spanning champagne (Moët & Chandon), fashion (Louis Vuitton) and watchmaking (TAG Heuer). He also owns the French financial newspaper Les Echos. Under Arnault’s leadership, LVMH shares have climbed more than twentyfold over three decades, although the stock has fallen by around one third in the past two years to €606 amid cooling Chinese demand for luxury goods.

The Paris-listed group has outside shareholders who tend to favour clear succession plans. Speculation over who might eventually succeed Arnault has swirled for years. Although he has not explicitly named an heir, each of his five children has a senior role at LVMH. Delphine, 49, heads Christian Dior; Antoine, 47, is group image and environment director; Alexandre, 32, serves as deputy chief executive of Moët Hennessey; Frederic, 30, recently took charge of the Loro Piana cashmere label after running LVMH Watches; Jean, 26, oversees watch operations at Louis Vuitton. Except for Jean, they all sit on the company’s board. The Arnault family controls 48.6 per cent of the business.

LVMH’s lead independent director is Henri de Castries, the former chief executive of insurance giant AXA. Observers note that shareholders value Arnault’s experience and track record, but are also mindful of the potential pitfalls of long-serving leaders, including health concerns, reluctance to embrace new ideas and a lack of strong internal voices to counter the boss’s plans.

Arnault’s personal fortune is estimated at $179 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaire Index. He is perceived to be in robust health and has been known to work 12-hour days, sometimes visiting dozens of LVMH stores in one weekend. A person familiar with the group said: “He’s got no plans to go anywhere any time soon.”

However, LVMH now faces fresh headwinds after President Trump threatened last week to impose 200 per cent tariffs on European wine and cognac, an apparent retaliation against EU plans to tax American whiskey in response to US steel and aluminium tariffs. Such a move could affect LVMH exports of champagne labels Krug, Veuve Clicquot and Moët, as well as Château d’Yquem dessert wines and Hennessy brandy. The threat emerged barely two months after Arnault attended Trump’s inauguration in Washington as a guest of honour.

Warren Buffett, now 94, once wrote to Arnault following the previous age-limit increase to 80, saying he believed it remained too low. Buffett has himself faced ongoing questions about who will take the reins at Berkshire Hathaway. LVMH declined to comment on Arnault’s proposed bylaw changes, but a vote is expected at the company’s annual general meeting in Paris next month.

Read more:
Bernard Arnault looks to extend LVMH leadership until he’s 85

0
FacebookTwitterGoogle +Pinterest
previous post
Trump has the opportunity to stop Iran from going nuclear
next post
Gold breaks $3,000 barrier as global uncertainties fuel investor rush

You may also like

Reasons Small Businesses Should Buy New Equipment

September 27, 2022

Centrica CEO’s Salary Soars by Nearly £4m Despite...

March 27, 2024

Serial entrepreneur Sir Tom Hunter calls for 15%...

August 23, 2023

SME’s embrace open banking payment technology

April 3, 2023

Sir Len Blavatnik pumps $827m more into DAZN...

January 24, 2025

UK’s leading entrepreneurs urge Liz Truss to back...

September 12, 2022

Atom Bank suspends flotation after raising £30m from...

November 25, 2022

Re N Tox: Medical Spa RX Delivers a...

February 6, 2025

Portsmouth’s £24M Brexit border could be demolished

March 22, 2024

myenergi secures £30m from HSBC UK to drive...

April 13, 2023

    Get free access to all of the retirement secrets and income strategies from our experts! or Join The Exclusive Subscription Today And Get the Premium Articles Acess for Free

    By opting in you agree to receive emails from us and our affiliates. Your information is secure and your privacy is protected.

    Recent Posts

    • Rescissions: A Small but Welcome Step Toward Spending Discipline

      June 5, 2025
    • DAVID MARCUS: Why Navy ships should not be named for gay rights icons

      June 5, 2025
    • GREGG JARRETT: Biden, the ‘marionette president; and the case of the runaway autopen

      June 5, 2025
    • Trump Practically Bans Travel and Immigration from 12 Countries with Flimsy Security Justifications

      June 5, 2025
    • ‘He’s not a big factor’: Trump’s Senate allies dismiss Elon Musk’s calls to ‘kill the bill’

      June 5, 2025
    • Fears grow that Tata Steel could be excluded from Starmer-Trump trade deal

      June 5, 2025

    Categories

    • Business (8,147)
    • Investing (2,008)
    • Politics (15,523)
    • Stocks (3,127)
    • About us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms & Conditions

    Disclaimer: futureretirementsuccess.com, its managers, its employees, and assigns (collectively “The Company”) do not make any guarantee or warranty about what is advertised above. Information provided by this website is for research purposes only and should not be considered as personalized financial advice. The Company is not affiliated with, nor does it receive compensation from, any specific security. The Company is not registered or licensed by any governing body in any jurisdiction to give investing advice or provide investment recommendation. Any investments recommended here should be taken into consideration only after consulting with your investment advisor and after reviewing the prospectus or financial statements of the company.

    Copyright © 2025 futureretirementsuccess.com | All Rights Reserved