Bernard Arnault was born 5 March 1949 in Roubaix, northern France.

After graduating from the Maxence Van Der Meersch high school, he graduated with an engineering degree in 1971 to the École Polytechnique.

After graduation, Mr Arnault joined his father's company and he convinced him to liquidate the change the focus of company to real estate.

In 1981 he emigrated to the United States and created Ferinel Inc., developing codominiums in Palm Beach, Florida. Three years later he returned to France and became the CEO of Financière Agache, a luxury goods company.

He has since then led the company through an ambitious development plan, turning it into the largest luxury group in the world, Moét Hennessy Louis Vuitton, ahead of Swiss luxury giant Richemont.

Arnault also owned the art auction house Phillips de Pury & Company from 1999 to 2003.

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.

He is the 14th richest person in the world, the 3rd in the European Union and France's richest person with an estimated net worth of $26 billion US dollars, according to a Forbes report in March 2007.