The battle of billionaires Pino against Mittal: who is cooler?

They say about Pino that everything he touches turns to gold. And about Mittal, that he himself invented the secret of his success both in management and in the technical side of things. Who will be better in comparison?

In one corner of the ring is the French “pirate” Francois Pinault, whose business empire consists of incompatible things (a sawmill and paintings by great masters, sugar trading and the production of designer handbags, sportswear and perfumes). In the other, the original tycoon who created the metallurgical empire, Lakshmi Mittal. Which one is tougher?

François Pinault

Millionaire Millionaire. This French businessman got rich by actively using raiding and insider trading. Starting with regular boards, he worked his way up to Gucci.

François Pinault was born on August 21, 1936 in the village of Treverien in Brittany in northwestern France.

“My only educational certificate is a driving license” (F. Pino)

At the age of 27, he founded his first company Pinault group and started selling wood. Pinot bought cheaply and sold dearly all his enterprises.

Today, at 82, the company has a new name, Pinault-Printemps-Redout (better known as PPR), and manages fashion brands such as Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent, Sergio Rossi, Boucheron, Bottega Veneta, Bedat & Co, Alexander McQueen, Stella McCartney, Balenciaga and Puma.

Among his assets are the auction house Christie`s, Kering – one of the largest holdings that turns dreams of luxury into reality, as well as a controlling stake in Redcats – a well-known clothing and accessories catalog.

But the collection of paintings by the great masters of painting has become the most valuable asset for him today.

State

Francois Pinault has been a permanent member of the Forbes rating since at least 2004. In 2018, the magazine estimated his net worth at $27 billion and placed him at number 30 on their list of billionaires. This is his highest achievement in the last decade.

Table 1. Change in the state of F. Pino in 2011-2018

	Billion dollars	Place in the ranking
2011	11.5	67
2012	thirteen	59
2013	15	53
2014	15.5	58
2015	14.9	65
2016	11.5	84
2017	15.7	63
2018	27	thirty

Source: Forbes

Lakshmi Mittal

Owner of his own iron and steel empire called Ispat Indo, Indonesia’s largest private steelmaking enterprise.

Lakshmi Niwas Mittal was born on June 15, 1950 in the city of Sadulpur, Indian state of Rajasthan.

When he was awarded his Bachelor of Commerce degree, his father was expanding the business of metalworking and fabrication of metal structures. The help of his son came in handy, even though for this he had to leave his studies.

The career of the future billionaire began in the family business as the head of a plant acquired in Indonesia in 1975. It was here that he first used reduced iron as a cheaper raw material.

Lakshmi Mittal founded his company Mittal Steel in 1976. Today it is the world’s largest steel producer with a geography covering 14 countries on 4 continents.

“Goals must be realistic. I set modest intermediate goals for myself, achieved them and rose step by step higher and higher ”(L. Mittal)

The head of the metallurgical corporation Arcelor Mittal, the largest in the world, Mittal manages his steel empire alone.

State

In the Forbes-2018 ranking, Lakshmi Mittal ranks 62nd with a fortune of $18.5 billion.

Table 2. Change in the state of L. Mittal in 2011-2018

	Billion dollars	Place in the ranking
2011	31.1	6
2012	20.7	21
2013	16.5	41
2014	16.7	52
2015	13.5	82
2016	8.4	135
2017	16.4	56
2018	18.5	62

Source: Forbes

At the end of 2011, he ranked sixth among the richest people in the world. And it was Mittal’s highest achievement in the last decade.

But even occupying the 135th line of the rating, he did not change his life principle:

“Everyone goes through difficult times. This is a test of your determination and devotion to the chosen cause ”(L. Mittal).

Who is cooler”?

Let’s try to estimate which of these two will win the battle.

Table 3. Comparative characteristics of billionaires

	François Pinault		Lakshmi Mittal
	answers	points	answers	points
Number of search queries	2052	one	536	0
Education	Unfinished Secondary	0	St. Xavier’s College Kolkata, Master of Commerce Degree	one
Amount of children	4	one	2	0
Number of marriages	2	0	one	one
How the business started	From scratch	one	Family business	0
What year did you get on the Forbes list of the world’s richest people?	2004	one	2004	one
Age of hitting Forbes	68	0	54	one
How much is spent on charity	…		…
State Size	$27 billion	one	$18.5 billion	0

Source: Forbes

Comparison according to the proposed parameters in favor of Francois Pinault – 5:4.

However, is it worth evaluating the outcome of the battle based on such incomplete data? Both billionaires made the 2004 Forbes list, Pinot with a fortune of 4.4 billion, and Mittal with 6.2 billion. It was not possible to establish when they became billionaires. It is known that Mittal was earning almost a billion dollars a year by the early 1990s. And Pino immediately put his first billions earned in 1991 into business.

Both businessmen are also distinguished by charitable activities:

1. François Pinault. Since 2008, his PPR has funded the Women’s Rights and Dignity Foundation he founded. A lot of projects have been financed to combat violence, to empower women, etc.
2. Lakshmi Mittal. Member of several charitable foundations. Financially supports the poor. In the countries where its factories are located, it provides assistance to students not only in education, but also in employment.

They don’t have much in common. François Pinault is a raider and speculator who “watches out” happy occasions. Lakshmi Mittal – does himself every day. They say about Pino that everything he touches turns to gold. And about Mittal – that he invented the secret of his success himself, both in management and in the technical side of things.

But they are both smart and successful. Lakshmi is 14 years younger than Francois. And he has a lot more to come. In the meantime, the experienced Frenchman wins.