Bernard Arnault and his family are the richest people in France in October 2026, with about $107 billion in LVMH shares. We rank French fortunes by listed holdings: the family’s reported ownership percentage times the company’s market value in late October 2026. Four fortunes can be priced this way. Others, such as Chanel’s owners, are private and appear in a separate section. This replaces our 2014 list.
| Rank | Name | Estimated stake value | Company |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bernard Arnault and family | $107 billion | LVMH |
| 2 | Hermès family | $101 billion | Hermès |
| 3 | Françoise Bettencourt Meyers and family | $91 billion | L’Oréal |
| 4 | François-Henri Pinault and family | $10 billion or more | Kering |
1. Bernard Arnault and family: $107 billion
Bernard Arnault built LVMH from a 1989 takeover of the group. It owns Louis Vuitton, Dior and Moët & Chandon among many brands. The family controls about two-thirds of the voting rights.
How we valued it: Regulatory filings put the Arnault family at 50.01% of LVMH’s capital in early 2026. LVMH is worth about $214.7 billion, so the stake is about $107 billion.
2. The Hermès family: $101 billion
Hermès is run by chief executive Axel Dumas, from the family. The group is known for the Birkin and Kelly bags, and the family has locked its ownership in place.
How we valued it: Hermès is worth about $151 billion (105.6 million shares at EUR 1,280.50 on 26 October 2026). The family is reported to hold about two-thirds of the capital, which gives roughly $101 billion. The family holding company H51 alone locks in 50.2%, or about $76 billion, so that is the floor. The fortune is shared among the family’s branches.
3. Françoise Bettencourt Meyers and family: $91 billion
She is the granddaughter of founder Eugène Schueller and inherited the stake when her mother died in 2017. Her wealth is also covered in our list of the wealthiest female billionaires.
How we valued it: At the end of 2024 the family owned 34.76% of L’Oréal. L’Oréal is worth about $262.9 billion, which gives about $91 billion.
4. François-Henri Pinault and family: $10 billion or more
The Pinault family built Kering, whose brands include Gucci and Saint Laurent. Kering’s share price has fallen, which is why this fortune is smaller than a decade ago.
How we valued it: Artémis, the Pinault holding, held about 42% of Kering per 2025 coverage. Kering is worth about $24.8 billion, so the stake is about $10.4 billion. Artémis owns more, including vineyards, but we could not price those, and it agreed in January 2026 to sell its 29.06% stake in Puma.
French fortunes we could not size
The owners of Chanel are private and publish no valuation. Rodolphe Saadé and his family own about 73% of the shipping group CMA CGM, which is not listed. We do not guess at these. The Dassault family, Xavier Niel, and the Bolloré family are also major French fortunes whose current holdings we could not confirm.
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More on this world: richest fashion labels, richest people in Europe, richest people in China and richest women of 2013.
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Who is the richest person in France in 2026?
Bernard Arnault and his family, with about $107 billion in LVMH shares.
How much is Françoise Bettencourt Meyers worth?
About $91 billion, from the family’s 34.76% of L’Oréal.
Why is the Hermès family not at the top?
LVMH is larger, and the Hermès family shares ownership among branches. Its stake is worth about $101 billion, which makes it the second-largest French fortune on our list.
Why is Chanel missing?
Chanel is private and publishes no valuation, so we cannot price its owners.
Are these numbers net worth?
They are the value of listed shares we can price, not full net worth.
How we estimate net worth
Our estimates are based on public reporting, company valuations, and deal and earnings figures all compiled in an internal valuation model. They are approximate, and figures change over time as new information emerges.
For this list we multiplied reported family stakes by company market values in late October 2026.
Last updated: October 2026.
