LVMH, the owner of Louis Vuitton, is Europe's most valuable company"-so much so that earlier this year it managed to reach a market capitalization of $500 billion, a monumental milestone for the continent.
The insatiable global demand for luxury goods and LVMH's stellar financial results have thrown the French conglomerate into an ever-brighter spotlight.
Its stock market gains have greatly increased the fortune of its controlling shareholder, Bernard Arnault, who is now the world's second-wealthiest person.
Arnault sits at the heart of this success story. In this Bloomberg Originals short documentary, Bernard Arnault: King of Luxury, we meet the man behind a conglomerate built by decades of acquisition. Arnault has brought some of the world's most desirable, high-end brands under the LVMH umbrella. Christian Dior, Dom Perignon, Tiffany & Co. and Cheval Blanc are just a few of the gems in his portfolio.
But industry observers are asking how long can LVMH continue to outperform, given doubts about luxury appetites in critical Chinese and American markets.
And now that he's 74, there's also the issue of succession: When will Arnault be ready to pass the reins of his empire"-and to whom?
