London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Aug 11, 2026

Meet the 5 billionaire Arnault children vying to take over their father’s LVMH empire in a real-life ‘Succession’ plot

Meet the 5 billionaire Arnault children vying to take over their father’s LVMH empire in a real-life ‘Succession’ plot

LVMH chief executive Bernard Arnault, the world's third-richest man, is said to be deciding which of his five children will take over the empire.

The company recently moved to raise its age limit for a chief executive officer so Arnault can stay on.

Arnault, 73, has run the luxury conglomerate for decades. His net worth is estimated at $155 billion. LVMH includes fashion brands Louis Vuitton and Christian Dior, champagne producer Moët & Chandon, and watch company TAG Heuer.

The CEO could use this time to think about which one of his children will take over, according to a recent Fortune article. The aging patriarch and his five children vying for power closely mirror HBO's series Succession.

Meet Arnault's five talented children who could one day run LVMH.

Delphine Arnault


The French businesswoman is 46 and the VP of Louis Vuitton. She attended the EDHEC Business School in Lille and the London School of Economics.

She began her career at McKinsey in Paris, where she worked as a consultant for two years and learned strategy, according to the Financial Times. She acquired experience in the fashion industry while working at designer John Galliano’s company in 2000, helping develop the brand.

Between 2001 and 2013, she started working at Christian Dior in the shoe department and rose to deputy managing director for the executive committee. During this time, she oversaw one of the label’s most successful periods, steering the growth of leather goods, accessories, and communication strategies.

Since then, she has become executive vice president of Louis Vuitton and is in charge of supervising the brand’s product-related activities. She follows a calm management style and tends to visit stores when they are at their busiest.

The successful businesswoman also sits on boards such as Château Cheval Blanc, The Saint-Emilion Premier Grand Cru, Les Echos, Loewe, Pucci’s, Celine, Christian Dior, 21st Century Fox, and Repossi. Since 2009, she has been a member of the supervisory board of M6, and in 2013 she joined the supervisory board of Havas.

Delphine is also a supporter of the LVMH Prize, which allows young fashion designers to be coached by LVMH professionals. In 2014 she was also named one of Fortune’s 40 under 40.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4qO91ITy3I

Antoine Arnault


Antoine, 44, is the head of communications and image at LVMH. He is also the chairman of Loro Piana and chief executive of Berluti. The oldest son got his first chief executive role at Berluti, transforming the luxury shoemaker into a menswear label.

In 2002, when Arnault was 25, he cofounded an internet startup and started working in LVMH’s marketing team. He then got his MBA from Insead and, in 2005, rejoined LVMH in the advertising department.

Two years later, he was made director of communications at Louis Vuitton. Under this role, he launched the “core values” campaigns, which featured international figures like Muhammad Ali, Angelina Jolie, Mikhail Gorbachev, and Bono.

In 2011, he launched Les Journées Particulières, in which members of the public were invited to visit the LVMH ateliers and witness the craftsmanship. This festival takes place across 14 countries and encourages LVMH brands to open their doors to the public. He was appointed chairman of Loro Piana two years later, after his father purchased 80% of the cashmere retailer.

In 2018, he took on his current role at LVMH and was tasked with managing the iconic fashion house's image. A year later, after a personal friend bought Laperouse, a historic Parisian restaurant, Arnault took a minority stake.

Like his sister Delphine and his father, he sits on the board of LVMH. According to the Wall Street Journal, he is married to Natalia Vodianova, a Russian model, and is passionate about golf.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BzATXCsoM8I/

Alexandre Arnault


At 29, Alexandre is fluent in French, English, and German, and the VP at Tiffany.

He graduated from Telecom ParisTech and got a master’s in innovation from École Polytechnique. His digital experience has helped the fashion conglomerate launch 24 Sevres, its e-commerce platform.

In 2017, he was appointed to lead the luxury luggage bag maker Rimowa after LVMH announced that it would acquire an 80% stake in the company. This acquisition was a key move as Rimowa was the last luxury luggage brand left on the market after Samsonite acquired Tumi. The brand influenced LVMH’s digital strategy and collaborations with Supreme, Off-White, and Fendi.

In 2019, he took over his father’s seat on the board of directors at Carrefour, the French supermarket chain. Finally, last year he became executive vice president of product and communications at Tiffany & Co.

In that role, Alexandre has already started shaking things up with his contemporary and modern approach. According to the Wall Street Journal, CEO Anthony Ledru described him as 40% analysis and 60% gut feeling, a go-getter that made things happen sooner rather than later. Thanks to him, Jay-Z and Beyoncé agreed to do the “About Love” campaign for the jewelry company, which featured a Tiffany-blue Basquiat painting.

In 2021 he married Géraldine Guyot, a young designer. The union was first celebrated in Paris and then in Venice. A grand ceremony was held and attended by Roger Federer, Pharrell Williams, the Carters, and Kanye West, who also performed.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CUIV6-uI7Uf/

Frédéric Arnault


Frédéric, 27, is the chief executive at TAG Heuer, a luxury watch brand. He studied at the École Polytechnique and ran a mobile payment startup with a friend, which they later sold to BNP. He then joined TAG Heuer full-time as the director of strategy and digital.

When Frédéric was 25, he was named CEO of TAG Heuer, making him the second-youngest Arnault to obtain that position after his brother Alexandre. While he puts a lot of focus into connected watches, which now constitutes 15% of all sales, his main focus is e-commerce, which grew 329% in 2020. It was also thanks to him that TAG Heuer got a key partnership with Porsche.

In 2020 he entered the spotlight after he partnered with Ryan Gosling after taking the reins of TAG Heuer. In the beginning, the partnership seemed unusual because the actor had no social media presence and had never endorsed a product before. However, Frédéric saw an opportunity and finally signed a two-year deal with Gosling after a year and a half of negotiations.

Last year, it reported revenues of $7.1 billion from its watch and jewelry sector in the third quarter.

The young businessman’s history with TAG Heuer dates back to when he was 11 and received a TAG Heuer Aquaracer from his father. In 1999 his father bought the brand, and it has become the most significant watch brand in LVMH’s portfolio.

Frédéric is also a man of many talents and plays the piano and tennis, and is fluent in English, Italian, and German.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B9sBaTsoEyI/

Jean Arnault


At 23, Jean is the director of marketing and development for Louis Vuitton watches. Louis Vuitton launched its watch factory in 2003.

The youngest Arnault got his master's degrees in mechanical engineering from Imperial College London and financial mathematics from MIT. His interest in the watchmaking industry peaked after his brother Frédéric told him about what he was doing at TAG Heuer, and he studied at the label's watch institute.

Even though he just started in the business world, the future is bright.

Jean told the Financial Times that he sees huge potential in mechanical watches during the digital, connected revolution. The more his generation connects their lives with devices, the more they desire something strictly mechanical.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Ca5GcjmrQl7/

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Turkish Parliament Passes Landmark Bill Granting Conditional Amnesty to Disarmed PKK Members
Donald Trump Warns FIFA Against Ousting Gianni Infantino Amid Revolt by Global Football Leaders
Jeff Bezos Joins Investor Group Closing In on $6 Billion Liverpool FC Stake
UK Councils to Receive Sweeping Planning Powers to Ban New Vape and Betting Shops
Former Labour Adviser Arrested on Suspicion of Spying for China Held Privileged Access as Top Party Donor
Nicola Sturgeon Says She Has No Contact With Estranged Husband After SNP Embezzlement Case
Police Arrest Two Men After Aberdeenshire Defense Technology Office Break-In
Greater Manchester Councils Gain Powers to Restrict New Vape and Betting Shops
Coroner Finds Treasury Workplace Failures Contributed to Personal Assistant’s Suicide
English and Welsh Courts Ban Meta Smart Glasses Over Recording and Privacy Risks
Strait of Hormuz Disruption Could Double UK Inflation and Trigger Recession, Forecasters Warn
UK Expands Global Talent Visa Scheme to Support Research-Intensive Companies
UK Equity Funds Suffer Record One Point Six Billion Pound Outflow Amid Capital Gains Tax Fears
Three-Quarters of England Enters Drought as Fifth Summer Heatwave Raises Economic Risks
UK Hiring Stabilizes for First Time Since 2022 as Employers Adjust to Higher Payroll Costs
UK Chancellor Orders Whitehall Spending Cuts as Public Debt Exceeds Three Trillion Pounds
UK Manufacturing Output Records Fourth Straight Month of Growth
UK Condemns Russian Torture of Ukrainian Prisoners and Recruitment of Foreign Nationals
Long-Lost Royal Navy Warship HMS Tiger Found in English Channel After 118 Years
Northern Ireland Finance Minister Seeks Urgent Treasury Talks Over Regional Budget Pressures
UK Government Targets Subscription Traps and Misleading Discounts in New Consumer Rules
Alleged Cartel Boss Daniel Kinahan Extradited From Dubai to Face Criminal Charges
AI Chatbots Challenge Traditional News Consumption and Raise Job Concerns
Andy Burnham Government Promises Crackdown on Exploitative Business Practices
UK University Funding Model Faces Growing Pressure From Unsustainable Student Debt
Government Urged to Subsidise Energy Bills for Vulnerable UK Households
UK Military Spending Plans Threaten to Deepen Infrastructure Funding Gap
Israeli Government Rejects US Peace Framework for Gaza
New Labour Government Signals Closer Economic and Strategic Ties With European Union
Amber Heat-Health Alerts Issued Across England as Temperatures Threaten 36 Degrees
UK Economy Expected to Grow Despite Energy and Supply Chain Shock From Iran Conflict
Foreign Social Media Accounts Drove Disinformation During Belfast and Southampton Riots
Record Number of Migrants Cross English Channel in Single Vessel as Smugglers Deploy Mega-Dinghies
Russia’s A7 Builds a State-Linked Payments Network Beyond Western Sanctions
Reports of Mark Zuckerberg-Linked Superyacht Declining Rescue Assistance Draw Maritime Scrutiny
Preserving Three Banksy Artworks in London Has Cost Taxpayers Nearly £150,000
Four Ugandan Athletes Disappear From Delegation After UK Sporting Events
French Authorities Report Channel Interventions as Cross-Border Migration Dispute Continues
Home Office Admits Error in Settled Status Case Involving Long-Term Italian Resident
Unite Calls for Independent Review of UK Budget Watchdog's Fiscal Forecasting Rules
Thinktank Calls for £175 Annual Energy Bill Cut for Low-Income Households
Foreign-Linked Social Media Accounts Amplified Recent Unrest in Belfast and Southampton, Analysis Finds
London Mayor Sadiq Khan Orders Westminster to Drop Proposed Soho and West End Hospitality Ban
Royal Navy Deployments to Monitor Russian Activity in UK Waters Rise 25 Percent
UK Economy Expected to Grow 0.4 Percent in Second Quarter Despite Geopolitical Pressures
Andy Burnham Launches Cost-of-Living Measures Targeting Subscription Traps and Misleading Discounts
Hyper-Realistic Reborn Dolls Draw Collectors Seeking Comfort and Craft
Gen Z Cuts Back on Dating as a Night Out Nears $200
Patients Turn to Artificial Intelligence for Therapy as Psychiatrists Warn of Privacy and Clinical Risks
Couples Embrace ‘Sleep Divorce’ to Protect Rest and Reduce Tension
×