The great French fortunes are mostly owned by family dynasties.
If the great French fortunes are above all in the hands of family dynasties, here there is no Dallas or jet-set. The large families that figure in number in this ranking of French billionaires, based on the Challenges ranking of France’s professional fortunes, almost all cultivate the cult of secrecy and discretion. Starting with the second fortune of France, Liliane Bettencourt, who admits she does not like this kind of ranking…
French billionaires
Rank
Name
Fortune (€ billion)
Company
Sector
Region
Source : Challenges
1
Bernard Arnault
21,24
LVMH
Luxury
Ile-de-France region
2
Gérard Mulliez and his family
21,00
AUCHAN GROUP
Distribution
Nord-Pas de Calais
3
Liliane Bettencourt and her family
17,50
L’OREAL
Cosmetics
Ile-de-France region
4
Bertrand Puech and the Hermès Family
12,20
HERMES INTERNATIONAL
Luxury
Ile-de-France region
5
François Pinault and his family
8,10
PPR
Distribution, luxury
Ile-de-France region
6
Serge Dassault and his family
7,50
MARCEL DASSAULT INDUSTRIAL GROUP
Industry
Ile-de-France region
7
Margarita, Eric, Kirill and Maurice Louis-Dreyfus
6,60
LOUIS-DREYFUS
Services
Ile-de-France region
8
Pierre Castel and his family
4,50
CASTEL FRERES
Drinks
Aquitaine
8
Alain Wertheimer and his family
4,50
CHANEL
Luxury
Ile-de-France region
10
Vincent Bolloré
3,80
BOLLORE
Transport, media
Ile-de-France region
11
Jean-Claude Decaux and his family
3,41
JCDECAUX COMMUNICATION
Communication
Ile-de-France region
12
Xavier Niel and his family
3,15
ILIAD-FREE
Telecoms
Ile-de-France region
13
Emmanuel Besnier and his family
3,10
LACTALIS
Agri-food
Pays de la Loire
14
Benjamin de Rothschild
3,00
EDMOND DE ROTHSCHILD GROUP
Finance
Ile-de-France region
15
Robert Peugeot and his family
2,98
PEUGEOT SA
Automotive
Ile-de-France region
16
Ginette Moulin and her family
2,90
LAFAYETTE GALLERIES
Distribution
Ile-de-France region
17
Jacques Servier and his family
2,80
SERVIER LABORATORIES
Pharmacy
Ile-de-France region
18
Patrick Ricard and his family
2,60
PERNOD RICARD
Drinks
Ile-de-France region
19
Alain Mérieux and his family
2,44
BIOMERIEUX
Pharmacy
Rhone-Alpes
20
Courtin-Clarins Family
2,35
CLARINS
Cosmetics
Ile-de-France region
21
Coisne and Lambert families
2,30
SONEPAR DISTRIBUTION
Distribution
Ile-de-France region
22
Martin and Olivier Bouygues and their family
2,30
BOUYGUES
Building and public works, telecoms
Ile-de-France region
23
Duval and Aubert families
2,19
ERAMET
Industry
Ile-de-France region
24
Pierre Bellon and his children
2,16
SODEXO
Services
Ile-de-France region
25
Jacques and Philippe Bouriez and their family
2,10
LOUIS DELHAIZE GROUP
Distribution
Ile-de-France region
26
Jacques Saadé and his family
2,00
CMA-CGM
Transport
Paca
27
Guerlain Family
1,92
CHRISTIAN DIOR
Luxury
Ile-de-France region
28
Bris Rocher and his family
1,80
YVES ROCK LABORATORIES
Cosmetics
Brittany
29
Roman Zaleski
1,77
CARLO TASSARA
Industry
Ile-de-France region
30
Jacques Merceron-Vicat and his family
1,59
VICAT
Building materials
Ile-de-France region
31
Lescure Family
1,57
SEB GROUP
Household appliances
Rhone-Alpes
32
Beaufour Families
1,55
IPSEN GROUP
Pharmacy
Ile-de-France region
33
Martine Primat and her family
1,50
PRIMWEST
Petroleum Services
Poitou-Charentes
34
Ernest-Antoine Seillière and the Wendel Family
1,44
WENDEL
Holding
Ile-de-France region
35
Hennessy, Moët et Chandon families
1,44
LVMH
Luxury
Ile-de-France region
36
Bruno Bich and his family
1,35
BIC
Pens, razors
Ile-de-France region
37
Jean-Claude Mimran and his family
1,30
MIMRAN GROUP
Trading
Switzerland
38
Paul-Georges Despature and his family
1,28
SOMFY
Equipment
Rhone-Alpes
39
Dominique Hériard-Dubreuil and his family
1,22
REMY COINTREAU
Spirits
Ile-de-France region
40
François Perrodo and his family
1,20
PERENCO
Energy
Ile-de-France region
40
Marie-Jeanne Meyer
1,20
LOUIS-DREYFUS
Services
Ile-de-France region
40
Jean-Pierre and Edith Cayard and their family
1,20
LA MARTINIQUAISE
Spirits
Ile-de-France region
40
Monique Roosmale Nepveu
1,20
LOUIS-DREYFUS
Services
Ile-de-France region
40
Clement Fayat and his family
1,20
FAYAT
BTP
Aquitaine
40
Jean-Pierre Savare and his family
1,20
OBERTHUR TECHNOLOGIES
Electronics
Ile-de-France region
46
Nicolas Puech
1,17
HERMES INTERNATIONAL
Luxury
Ile-de-France region
47
Roquette Family
1,10
FRIGATE ROCKET
Agri-food
Nord-Pas de Calais
47
Jérôme Seydoux and his family
1,10
PATHE
Cinema
Ile-de-France region
49
Edouard Carmignac and his family
1,00
CARMIGNAC MANAGEMENT
Finance
Ile-de-France region
49
Georges Gaspard and his family
1,00
LYRECO
Distribution
Nord-Pas de Calais
49
Philippe Louis-Dreyfus and his family
1,00
LOUIS-DREYFUS SHIPOWNERS
Services
Ile-de-France region
The profile of French billionaires
Rank
Name
Profile
Birth
School
Number of children
Source : JDN
1
Bernard Arnault
Entrepreneur
March 5, 1949
Polytechnique
5
2
Gérard Mulliez and his family
Heirs
May 13, 1931
Roubaix Technical Institute
3
3
Liliane Bettencourt and her family
Heirs
October 21, 1922
ND
1
4
Bertrand Puech and the Hermès Family
Heirs
February 18, 1936
Institute of Political Studies
ND
5
François Pinault and his family
Entrepreneur
August 21, 1936
ND
4
6
Serge Dassault and his family
Heirs
April 4, 1925
Polytechnique
4
7
Margarita, Eric, Kirill and Maurice Louis-Dreyfus
Heirs
ND
ND
NP
8
Pierre Castel and his family
Entrepreneur
ND
ND
NP
8
Alain Wertheimer and his family
Heirs
ND
ND
NP
10
Vincent Bolloré
Entrepreneur
April 1, 1952
Faculty of Law in Paris
4
11
Jean-Claude Decaux and his family
Entrepreneur
September 15, 1937
ND
2
12
Xavier Niel and his family
Entrepreneur
August 25, 1967
NP
2
13
Emmanuel Besnier and his family
Heirs
ND
ND
ND
14
Benjamin de Rothschild
Heirs
July 30, 1963
Pepperdine University
4
15
Robert Peugeot and his family
Heirs
April 25, 1950
Central School
ND
16
Ginette Moulin and her family
Heirs
February 7, 1927
ND
3
17
Jacques Servier and his family
Entrepreneur
February 9, 1922
Paris Faculties of Medicine and Pharmacy
4
18
Patrick Ricard and his family
Heirs
May 12, 1945
ND
3
19
Alain Mérieux and his family
Entrepreneur
July 10, 1938
Harvard Business School
ND
20
Courtin-Clarins Family
Heirs
NP
NP
NP
21
Coisne and Lambert families
Heirs
NP
NP
NP
22
Martin and Olivier Bouygues and their family
Heirs
NP
NP
NP
23
Duval and Aubert families
Heirs
NP
NP
NP
24
Pierre Bellon and his children
Entrepreneur
NP
NP
NP
25
Jacques and Philippe Bouriez and their family
Heirs
NP
NP
NP
26
Jacques Saadé and his family
Entrepreneur
February 7, 1937
London School of Economics
3
27
Guerlain Family
Heirs
NP
NP
NP
28
Bris Rocher and his family
Heirs
October 12, 1978
ND
29
Roman Zaleski
Entrepreneur
ND
ND
ND
30
Jacques Merceron-Vicat and his family
Heirs
March 22nd, 1938
Special School of Public Works
3
31
Lescure Family
Heirs
NP
NP
NP
32
Beaufour Families
Heirs
NP
NP
NP
33
Martine Primat and her family
Heirs
April 1948
ND
ND
34
Ernest-Antoine Seillière and the Wendel Family
Heirs
December 20th, 1937
Institute of Political Studies
5
35
Hennessy, Moët et Chandon families
Heirs
NP
NP
NP
36
Bruno Bich and his family
Entrepreneur
October 2, 1946
New York University
ND
37
Jean-Claude Mimran and his family
Entrepreneur
ND
ND
ND
38
Paul-Georges Despature and his family
Entrepreneur
ND
ND
ND
39
Dominique Hériard-Dubreuil and his family
Entrepreneur
July 6th, 1946
Institute of Public Relations
1
40
François Perrodo and his family
Heirs
ND
ND
ND
40
Marie-Jeanne Meyer
Heiress
ND
ND
ND
40
Jean-Pierre and Edith Cayard and their family
Heirs
NP
NP
ND
40
Monique Roosmale Nepveu
Heiress
ND
ND
ND
40
Clement Fayat and his family
Entrepreneur
January 24, 1932
ND
2
40
Jean-Pierre Savare and his family
Entrepreneur
March 9, 1937
Business Development Centre
3
46
Nicolas Puech
Heir
ND
ND
ND
47
Roquette Family
Heirs
NP
NP
NP
47
Jérôme Seydoux and his family
Heirs
September 21, 1934
ENSEEIHT
5
49
Edouard Carmignac and his family
Entrepreneur
September 5, 1947.
Columbia University
ND
49
Georges Gaspard and his family
Entrepreneur
ND
ND
ND
49
Philippe Louis-Dreyfus and his family
Heirs
9 March 1945
Paris II-Panthéon Assas
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