Bernard Arnault pulls out all the stops to join prestigious learned society

“What a waste of time!” sighed those close to him. But Bernard Arnault wouldn’t listen. France’s richest man dreams of that old-fashioned black suit embroidered with green silk olive leaves and the sword that is the hallmark of an academician’s uniform.

He is campaigning to win over the 46 members of the Académie des Sciences Morales et Politiques, one of the five Académies that constitute the Institut de France, devoted to developing literature, science, and the arts. Arnault will be seeking the votes of the académie des sciences’ members on Monday, December 2. He set about the task of joining the prestigious learned society with the discipline and the approach he uses for everything. He wrote a handwritten letter to each of them in his classic, uncluttered handwriting, honed since his early days as a schoolboy. Dozens of visits and lavish lunches – hare royally and grands crus – in the company of the most influential académiciens (the word for a member of the Académie), despite his usual low-calorie diet.

Curiously, the LVMH boss is not content to be received around the world with the rank and honors of a head of state. At 75, he’s still seeking distinctions and recognition. On November 21, he didn’t hesitate to make a round trip to Bangkok just for the pleasure of receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award from Steve Forbes, editor-in-chief and son of the creator of the financial magazine, which for over a century has listed the world’s largest fortunes and most successful companies.

Power

A few months earlier, on March 13, Arnault received the Grand-Croix de la Légion d’Honneur, the French Republic’s highest honor, from President Emmanuel Macron, with great pomp and circumstance within the gilded halls of the Elysée Palace. One glance at the group of guests, gathered in the salle des fêtes of the presidential palace, was enough to understand the exceptional power of the recipient.

Among them were American multi-billionaires Elon Musk (Space X, Tesla and X) and Jeff Bezos (Amazon); two wealthy French shareholders like himself in the press, Vincent Bolloré and Rodolphe Saadé; former president Nicolas Sarkozy, a host of ministers from the right, including Bruno Le Maire, Gérald Darmanin and Rachida Dati; and the Socialist mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo. Adding a touch of glamour, the event was also attended by music industry stars Beyoncé and Jay-Z, long-time ambassadors of LVMH brands, artist Jeff Koons and Queen Rania of Jordan.

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