Adam Tooze: How Macron’s Ally Became the Richest Man in the World
Bernard Arnault is the king of luxury commerce and a fixture in French politics and culture.
The richest person in the world, as of December 2022, is the French billionaire Bernard Arnault, whose fortune now amounts to some $220 billion. People outside of his home country may be less familiar with him than tech billionaires such as Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos, but they’re likely to recognize the products that made him so wealthy: luxury brands ranging from Christian Dior and Louis Vuitton fashion to Hennessy liquor. In any case, Arnault has long been a fixture in French high society and politics.
Cameron Abadi is a deputy editor at Foreign Policy. Twitter: @CameronAbadi
Read More
Billionaires Won’t Save Ukraine’s Internet
Turns out Elon Musk isn’t a dependable ally.
Macron Is Courting His Waterloo Over Pension Reform
Like other rich countries, France is trying to go gray and stay solvent—and the French aren’t buying it.
France Tries to Get Onside With Washington Ahead of First State Visit
Foreign Policy talked with the French ambassador about energy, the war, and looming trade tensions.
More from Foreign Policy
No, the World Is Not Multipolar
The idea of emerging power centers is popular but wrong—and could lead to serious policy mistakes.
America Prepares for a Pacific War With China It Doesn’t Want
Embedded with U.S. forces in the Pacific, I saw the dilemmas of deterrence firsthand.
America Can’t Stop China’s Rise
And it should stop trying.
The Morality of Ukraine’s War Is Very Murky
The ethical calculations are less clear than you might think.
Sign up for World Brief
FP’s flagship evening newsletter guiding you through the most important world stories of the day. Delivered weekdays.
By submitting your email, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use and to receive email correspondence from us. You may opt out at any time.
Join the Conversation
Commenting on this and other recent articles is just one benefit of a Foreign Policy subscription.
Already a subscriber? .
Subscribe Subscribe
View Comments
Join the Conversation
Join the conversation on this and other recent Foreign Policy articles when you subscribe now.
Subscribe Subscribe
Not your account?
View Comments
Join the Conversation
Please follow our comment guidelines, stay on topic, and be civil, courteous, and respectful of others’ beliefs.