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Oct 2023
43m 27s

Bernard Arnault: The wolf in cashmere

Bbc World Service
About this episode

The rise and rise of the French entrepreneur who vies with Elon Musk for the title of richest person in the world. Bernard Arnault is the head of luxury brand conglomerate LVMH, a house of brands that owns Givenchy, Louis Vuitton, Moet, Hennessey, Christian Dior, Sephora, Tiffany & Co, Marc Jacobs, Fenty and some 70 other luxury labels.

Journalist Zing Tsjeng and BBC business editor Simon Jack trace Arnault's unstoppable ascent from scion of a northern French industrialist family, to Quebec and New York, then back to France where a ruthless takeover hoists him to the top. Is he good, bad, or just another billionaire?

The podcast that uncovers how the world's wealthiest people made their money and asks if they are a positive or negative force for the planet uncovers a story of boardroom dramas, hostile acquisitions and a fortune of over $200 billion.

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