Bernard Arnault mocks Le Monde probe: LVMH chief posts sarcastic X rebuttal

LVMH CEO Bernard Arnault has publicly rejected suggestions of a succession rift within his family after French daily Le Monde published a six-part investigative series examining his business empire, political influence and the dynamics among his five children. Rather than issuing a conventional rebuttal, the world's richest luxury tycoon responded with a lengthy, sarcastic statement on X."Thank you," he titled the post. "It seems I am the head of 'the last royal family of France.' I learned this reading Le Monde, between two cups of tea." He joked that his children, alerted by WhatsApp, asked whether they should now curtsy before him. "I told them a simple 'hello, Sir' would do, as usual."Published between July 19 and 24, Le Monde's six-part investigation examined Arnault's influence over business, politics and the media, while also focusing on succession within the luxury empire. Its final instalment described the succession question as "the elephant in the room" in the English edition, while another publication noted that a more literal rendering of the original French headline was "the poison at the heart of LVMH". The newspaper interviewed LVMH executives and members of the Arnault family, including Bernard Arnault himself, and reported on tensions surrounding the group's future leadership.The 77-year-old billionaire poked fun at the newspaper for dedicating six months, two reporters and six instalments to the investigation. "I had not been granted such treatment since I took over Boussac in 1984. Back then they called me 'The Terminator.' I prefer 'the last royal family': it's more elegant, and it's better for sales at Dior," he quipped.Arnault rejected suggestions that rivalries among his children threaten LVMH's eventual succession. "I am well aware that, by replying, I hand this serial the spotlight it was perhaps hoping for: a final episode, signed in my own hand. So be it. Let it serve at least one purpose: to spare the effort of all those who, elsewhere, are betting on the fracture of a family to sell newsprint. They'll be waiting a long time."The remarks come months after Arnault brushed aside succession questions at LVMH's annual shareholders' meeting, saying the issue would not arise for another "seven or eight years".Responding to suggestions that he has influenced successive French presidents, he joked that perhaps he should have "stayed on Avenue Montaigne, speaking only to my dog", before adding that he had also "whispered" to several US presidents, British prime ministers, German chancellors and even the Emperor of Japan.Arnault also mocked suggestions that LVMH's "business-first strategy" amounted to an exposé. That a global luxury group places business at the centre of its strategy, he suggested, was hardly revelatory. "I await the follow-ups: L'Oréal sells beauty products, Danone takes an interest in food, Renault makes cars, and so on. We can keep this going until Christmas."On allegations surrounding his influence over media organisations, Arnault pointedly noted that the investigation appeared in a newspaper whose individual shareholder is also his son-in-law, billionaire Xavier Niel. "Someone will have to explain to me one day, calmly and without irony, the exact geometry of French editorial independence. I find it fascinating. I'd gladly pay for the training," he wrote.He was equally dismissive of suggestions that his philanthropy was driven by tax incentives. Citing his €200 million contribution to the reconstruction of Notre-Dame, funding for a mathematics research institute at Polytechnique and the Fondation Louis Vuitton, Arnault argued that he had simply made use of a legal framework designed to encourage charitable giving. "The law of the Republic invites companies and individuals to give for the general interest; I gave, and this appears suspect. If the mechanism wounds so deeply, it remains only to persuade the legislator to repeal it."His longest rebuttal, however, was reserved for the portrayal of his family. "At the Arnaults, apparently, one does not discuss, one plots; one does not deliberate, one competes. Very novelistic. In the real world, my children run Maisons, build teams, make decisions and sacrilege - call one another on Sundays. What, in an ordinary family, is called a Sunday is called, in ours, an intrigue.""My family did the same: my five children, my wife, with devotion and attention - and myself. All present, all available, all united. I suspect you, very clearly, of having punished transparency."Arnault also argued that the investigation overlooked the long-term nature of the luxury business. "Luxury is one of the few sectors that thinks in generations rather than quarters," he wrote, adding that the newspaper had chosen to "inventory the wardrobes and to X-ray a family dinner" instead of focusing on LVMH's workshops, apprentices and craftspeople.He signed off by inviting the Le Monde journalists for "the apéritif" at the Fondation Louis Vuitton, promising that "The wines will be French.""As for me," Arnault concluded, "rest assured: I shall keep doing the Monde crossword, which - that, at least - is excellent."Looking for trusted parenting advice? Follow TOI Parenting Circle on Instagram for expert guidance, relatable stories, and practical tips delivered every day.