American business magnate, investor, author, philanthropist, and humanitarian Bill Gates has lost his position as the 2nd world richest to Bernard Arnault, the chairman and CEO of LVMH.

Image result for Bernard Arnault


News Agency of Nigeria reports that in the latest ranking by Bloomberg’s Billionaires Index, Arnault is in second place with Jeff Bezos still retaining first place. Arnault and his families are the majority owners of Christian Dior and LVMH, parent of such brands as Louis Vuitton, Celine, Fendi, Moët, Hennessy, Dom Pérignon, and others.

Image result for Bernard Arnault

As LVMH’s share price has soared in 2019, so has Arnault’s worth. It now stands at about $107.6 billion, more than $200 million ahead of Gates, Bloomberg estimates. The report also states that Gates would have been ranked the richest person, even ahead of Bezos if not for his philanthropic giveaways which gave Arnault more room to climb.

Image result for Bernard Arnault
The French entrepreneur entered the luxury industry in 1984 when he bought Boussac, a textile empire in the midst of bankruptcy that owned Dior. The famed label by then had deteriorated by licensing its name out to companies producing sub-par products. Arnault set about reviving it, turning it into a vertically integrated company that did its own production, distribution, and marketing.

Image result for bill gates

He went on to buy up other brands, such as Céline, and in 1988 engineered the deal that made him the majority shareholder of LVMH. Forbes currently ranks Dior as the world’s largest fashion brand based on sales, profits, assets, and market value. Meanwhile, LVMH, on the whole, keeps attracting customers around the world, with China being the latest highly profitable frontier.

Please share your thoughts in the comment section below

Bill Gates remains my favorite Billionaire