Bernard Arnault is the Chairman, Chief Executive Officer of French luxury holding Moét Hennessy Louis Vuitton.

Bernard Arnault was born on March 5, 1949. Arnault grew up in Roubaix, northern France. After graduating from the École Polytechnique, France's esteemed engineering school, Arnault worked as an engineer and ran his family's construction and property business firm, Ferret-Savinel. His rise to control of the world's largest luxury group began with an opportunity created when a textile firm, Boussac, went bankrupt. The French government was looking for someone to take over the textile empire, which comprised several foundering businesses, including a disposable diaper company and the once-prized couture house of Christian Dior.

Arnault soon gained a powerful friend in Antoine Bernheim, managing partner of the investment firm of Lazard Fréres. Bernheim arranged the financing for Arnault's acquisition of Boussac. The main reason Arnault bought Boussac was to get Dior, which he viewed as the potential cornerstone of a "luxury-goods supermarket," where a rising global bourgeoisie would shop. Arnault quickly expanded Dior to include new brands: the fashion house of Christian Lacroix and Celine, a leather-goods house known for its loafers.

Next Arnault unloaded Boussac's disposable-diaper business and much of its textiles operations, gaining a $400 million windfall in the process. This sale enabled him to buy his way into LVMH in 1989, purchasing $1.8 billion in LVMH shares and forging a deal that gave him control of 24 percent of the group. A bitter power struggle ensued between Arnault and Henry Racamier, the former chairman of LVMH's Louis Vuitton subsidiary and a member by marriage of one of the firm's founding families. After more than a year, Arnault won a series of court battles, Racamier was ousted, and Arnault purged LVMH's top Vuitton executives. His takeover of LVMH was one of the roughest in France's business history and earned Arnault a reputation for viciousness that was solidified by the numerous layoffs that followed his rise to power.

With the LVMH victory Arnault began assembling the pieces of his "luxury-goods supermarket," following a business model that balanced sound practices and creativity. He believed that to raise creative energy, a company must have managers with a certain love for and understanding of artists.

Unique among the world's leading CEOs, Arnault had the ability to relate to both the creative and financial aspects of running a business. Although he did not believe in limiting his artists' innovation, he insisted on financial discipline when producing, marketing, and selling his company's products.

Throughout the 1990s Arnault amassed an empire of indulgence, purchasing dozens of luxury-goods makers; strengthening his presence in Europe, North America, and Asia; and expanding into South America and Australia. To his company's roster he added wine and spirits as well as Louis Vuitton luggage and Givenchy clothes and perfume. He bought up watches (TAG Heuer), a cosmetics line (Sephora), and even a magazine (Art and Auction).

In the short term, however, many of Arnault's acquisitions failed to generate the kind of cash that would justify the amount of money spent on them. In 1999 LVMH and Prada together purchased a 51 percent stake in Fendi, only to see the brand's sales flatten. LVMH ultimately acquired Prada's share of the business. In 2001 operating margins for the LVMH watch and jewelry brands were about 7 percent, less than the 10 percent of competitors.

Although LVMH's operating profit rose 26.6 percent to a record $1.74 billion in 2000, the results failed to match expectations.
Arnault faced a host of challenges in early 2004. The luxury market struggled from declines in tourist travel, crucial to the sale of designer goods, and several LVMH brands suffered from their own financial troubles.
Nonetheless, Arnault was optimistic that he could continue to generate a steady flow of profit from his brands while ensuring the highest level of quality and creativity.

In 2007, Arnault was listed among Time magazine's 100 Most Influential People in The World.
In 2009 Arnault is ranked 15th in Forbes’ World’s Billionaires list as possessing $16.5 bln (he lost $9 bln due to the global recession affect on LVMH Group).

Mr Arnault is twice married, and the father of five children. His daughter Delphine Arnault is actively involved in the management of LVMH. His second wife, Hélène Mercier, is a pianist from Quebec. Mr Arnault is a noted art collector. Following the example of business man François Pinault, he created a Louis Vuitton foundation for contemporary art, which should open at the Jardin d'acclimatation in 2010.