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Meet Delphine Arnault, Dior Ceo And Daughter Of World's Richest Man
Delphine and Bernard Arnault: two of the most powerful people in fashion.
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- Delphine Arnault, eldest child of LVMH head Bernard Arnault, is the CEO of Christian Dior.
- Apart from a brief stint at McKinsey, her career has spanned multiple roles for LVMH since 2000.
- All of her siblings also work at LVMH brands, including Louis Vuitton, Berluti, and TAG Heuer.
Delphine Arnault is one of the most powerful women in fashion.
The eldest daughter of the world's richest man, LVMH CEO Bernard Arnault, the 49-year-old Delphine is now a year into her role as CEO of Dior.
Since 2000, her career has spanned multiple roles with LVMH, including CEO of Dior since 2023.
Here's a look at Delphine Arnault's background and career.
Her father's eldest child (she has four younger brothers), she is the heiress-apparent to his luxury goods empire and fortune worth $218 billion.![]()
From left: Alexandre, Frederic, and Jean Arnault, Helene Mercier, and Bernard, Delphine, and Antoine Arnault.
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Delphine was born near Paris on April 4, 1975, to Bernard Arnault and his first wife, Anne Dewavrin. She attended primary school in Paris, with a stint in the US at a French-American school where she became fluent in English.
After graduating from the London School of Economics in 1997, Delphine Arnault took a job at McKinsey.![]()
From left: Alexandre Arnault, Antoine Arnault, and Delphine Arnault.
Vianney Le Caer/AP
"I was learning strategy," she told the Financial Times of her time at McKinsey. "In a presentation in America they would start with the conclusion and say how they got there, and I found that very interesting. It was straight to the point."
After McKinsey, she joined the fashion designer John Galliano's brand to gain more industry experience.![]()
Bernard Arnault and John Galliano.
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In 2005, she married Italian wine heir Alessandro Vallarino Gancia in what Forbes called "France's wedding of the year."![]()
Delphine Arnault and Alessandro Vallarino Gancia.
DERRICK CEYRAC/AFP/Getty Images
Her wedding dress reportedly took 1,300 hours to make, but the marriage didn't last, according to Vogue.
She then began a relationship with French telecom billionaire Xavier Niel. They now have two children.![]()
Xavier Niel.
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Niel is sometimes referred to as the Steve Jobs of France, according to Vogue. "She's his biggest cheerleader. He's her biggest cheerleader," artist Mark Bradford told the magazine.
Arnault is credited with elevating Raf Simons to replace John Galliano.![]()
Raf Simons.
FRANCOIS GUILLOT/AFP via Getty Images
Galliano abruptly left Dior in 2011 after video footage of him making antisemitic remarks led to his ouster, and Delphine played a key role in shielding the company from fallout.
In 2013, Ms. Arnault took over all product-related activities for Louis Vuitton.![]()
A model holds a Louis Vuitton handbag.
Photo by Christian Vierig/Getty Images
She told the FT her managerial style is "quite calm," though she's known to make surprise visits to stores on busy Saturday afternoons.![]()
Shoppers walk past a Louis Vuitton store.
Miguel MEDINA / AFP
"I am always on my phone but it's good to meet people, to see them. To send a clear message," she said.
At 43, Arnault became the youngest member on the LVMH executive committee when she joined in 2019.![]()
Delphine Arnault.
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She was also just the second woman to join the committee.
In January 2023, LVMH announced she would take over the CEO role at Christian Dior.![]()
A Dior storefront. Arnault took over as CEO of the brand in 2023.
Photo by Scott Barbour/Getty Images
Former Dior CEO Pietro Beccari moved over to Louis Vuitton.
"Under her leadership, the desirability of Louis Vuitton products advanced significantly, enabling the brand to regularly set new sales records," her father said in the announcement.![]()
Delphine and Bernard Arnault.
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"Her keen insights and incomparable experience will be decisive assets in driving the ongoing development of Christian Dior," he added.
As a group, LVMH posted over $92 billion in sales last year, up 13% from the prior period.![]()
A woman walks with a Louis Vuitton shopping bag.
REUTERS/Philippe Wojazer
The company doesn't separate financial information by brand, but half of its revenues come from fashion and leather goods.
Delphine's move is "significant," Citi analyst Thomas Chauvet told Reuters.![]()
Delphine, Bernard, and Helene Arnault.
Bertrand Rindoff Petroff/Getty Images
"Succession planning in strategic roles has been instrumental to the success of LVMH's key brands over the past 20 years," Chauvet said.
In April, Bernard Arnault added two more of Delphine's siblings to the LVMH board.![]()
Bernard Arnault on his private jet.
Marc DEVILLE/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images
Of the five children, only the youngest, Jean Arnault, doesn't sit on the company's board – for now.
LVMH is "the leading business in Europe," Delphine told Vogue, and "Dior is the most famous French name in the world."![]()
Mal Langsdon/Reuters
Of LVMH's 70-plus luxury brands, Dior has a particularly special significance in French culture, and Bernard Arnault has pledged €200 million to restore Notre Dame and €150 million to the Paris Olympics.
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