The civil husband of Natalia Vodianova is called the successor of billionaire Bernard Arnault. The son of the owner of LVMH Antoine does not lead an idle life, but is actively involved in the family business. After starting his career in the advertising department of the corporation, in 2013 he headed the board of directors of Loro Piana, one of the companies 80% owned by the conglomerate, promoting the Berlutti brand.
Formally, Natalia Vodianova was married only once: in 2001, the supermodel married Justin Portman, a member of one of the richest and noblest families in the UK. The couple stayed together for 10 years and divorced in 2011.
Since the breakup, Natalia has been living in a civil marriage with French businessman Antoine Arnault. The couple has two common sons, in 2019 the lovers got engaged. However, the wedding, which was planned to be played in early summer 2024, had to be postponed due to the closure of the borders of France due to the threat of the spread of coronavirus.
Photo: March 2024
Source: Instagram @natasupernova
Arno’s fortune is estimated by various sources, including Forbes, at billions of dollars. How did the French entrepreneur manage to make such capital by the age of 42?
family business
Vodianova’s husband’s business is large-scale, but most of it belongs to his father and other family members. Antoine is the son of Bernard Arnault, the owner of the well-known transnational corporation LVMH (abbreviation for Louis Vuitton Moët Henessy), which specializes in the production and sale of luxury goods. This is a whole conglomerate, which includes Fendi, Bulgari, Dom Pérignon, Givenchy, Dior and others – in total more than 79 companies.
In many ways, the success of the family business is connected with the business tactics of Bernard Arnault himself, whom the European press calls “the wolf in cashmere.” Huge ambitions, a craving for risk and bold management decisions helped him put together an empire. He took control of LVMH in 1990 and has since spent a fortune to take over Europe’s leading fashion, perfume and hotel chains.
Last year, the giant took over jewelry brand Tiffany. According to Forbes magazine, in 2018 the corporation’s capitalization was estimated at $214 billion, and its market value was $1.1 trillion.
Photo: from right to left Antoine Arnault, Natalia Vodianova, Bernard Arnault, Helene Mercier
According to Bloomberg data, in 2024 B. Arno is among the ten richest people in the world and holds the title of the richest man in France and Europe: his fortune is estimated as of May 7, 2024 at $ 90.4 billion, or about 6.7 trillion rub.
Reference! The billionaire’s fortune has fallen below $ 100 billion due to the negative impact on the coronavirus. Back in January 2024, Forbes announced the figure – $ 117 billion.
Almost the entire family of the billionaire is involved in the business: the entrepreneur himself and his relatives, including Antoine, own about 47% of the shares. The head of LVMH turned 71 in March, but so far he is in no hurry to transfer control to any of the five children.
“I don’t think he will ever retire”
A. Arno.
Source: Forbes interview
However, the creator of the empire has already stated that the corporation in the future should remain under the control of the French family.
Career
However, Antoine earns not only on dividends: he takes an active part in the management of the conglomerate – he is a member of the board of directors of LVMH. The entrepreneur received an excellent education, even by high European standards: he graduated from the HEC Montréal Business School in Canada and the INSEAD Institute.
Arno’s career started with a job in the advertising department of Louis Vuitton.
In his post, he created a legendary advertising campaign, which was attended by Mikhail Gorbachev, Mohammed Ali and Keith Richards.
In 1993, LVMH acquired Berlutti, which specialized in menswear and luxury footwear. Since then, according to the ambitious Bernard, it has not grown fast enough. In 2011, Antoine began working on the development of the brand.
Under his leadership, the business tripled in just 3 years: Berluti’s revenue jumped from $45 million to $130 million, and later to $150 million.
“My second husband Antoine Arnault is a workaholic”
N. Vodianova.
One of the main strategic decisions to turn a small shoe company into a full-fledged global brand was the invitation to the post of creative director of the famous designer Alessandro Sartori.
However, the company’s expansion required significant investment, with LVMH pouring billions into opening new stores and expanding its ready-to-wear line. But according to CPPLUXURY, the brand was still not profitable in 2018. Bernard Arnault expected that the enterprise would become profitable as early as 2016.
Berlutti was founded in the late 19th century. The brand has a whole army of famous customers: John F. Kennedy, Frank Sinatra and Aristotle Onassis bought shoes. The great-granddaughter of the creator of the fashion house, Olga Berluti, designed Andy loafers especially for the famous artist Andy Warhol. Until now, this model is the hallmark of the brand.
In 2013, Antoine Arnault became chairman of the board of directors of Loro Piana, a wool and cashmere clothing company. The LVMH conglomerate acquired about 80% of the enterprise in order to scale the business. This appointment, according to the French press, may indicate that Antoine Bernard is preparing to be his successor.
Photo: LVMH activity report 2019
Source: Instagram @antoinearnault
How much does Vodianova herself earn?
Unlike the income of the spouse, the fortune of the ex-model is estimated not in billions, but in millions of dollars. Her earnings in 2019, according to Forbes magazine, amounted to $ 2.5 million, or about 161.5 million rubles. at the average rate.
Photo: on the cover of Forbes Life.
Source: Instagram @natasupernova
Despite the fact that Natalia is practically no longer involved in the modeling business, her media presence continues to make a profit. The girl earns on advertising contracts, periodically appears as a presenter on television. In 2017, she became an investor in a small business: she joined the board of directors of the Flo Period Tracker mobile application.
The former top model considers charity to be her main occupation: she heads the Naked Heart Foundation, which helps children with developmental disabilities.
“They say money can’t buy happiness, but only the rich know if that’s true. When you are poor, you do not think about the future, because you do not know if you will eat tomorrow. When you are rich, you think about the future, but choosing one goal is not so easy. I was both poor and rich, and I can say that money can’t buy happiness.”
Forbes included Vodianova in the rating of “The Most Successful Stars of Show Business Under 40”: she takes 32nd place. The calculations take into account not only the total income of celebrities, but also the number of their mentions in social networks and the media.
If, nevertheless, the wedding of Natalia and Antoine takes place, and the narrowed model leads the family business, Vodianova will become a co-owner of Arno’s “fashion empire”.