According to an annual ranking published this Wednesday by Challenges magazine, Bernard Arnault and his family, who head LVMH, have regained the top spot among France’s wealthiest business families. Last year, that spot was held by the Hermès family.
More than 150 billionaires in France. According to the list of the 500 wealthiest French individuals published this Wednesday by Challenges magazine, Bernard Arnault and his family top the rankings with a net worth of 121.2 billion euros. They thus rank ahead of the Hermès family and its 114 billion euros (compared to 163.4 billion euros in 2025).
Bernard Arnault, who became the majority shareholder of Challenges in late 2025, has thus regained the top spot in this ranking, which he had held since 2017. In the wake of this, LVMH’s stock price has soared and is now valued at 250 billion euros on the stock market. According to the French Financial Markets Authority (AMF), the Arnault family has increased its stake in LVMH. By February 2026, the family held 50.1% of the company, up from 48% in 2025.
As Le Monde points out, the Arnault family’s return to the top is also due to the fact that Hermès stock has fallen by about 30% over the past year.
How is the Challenges ranking determined?
In third place on the 2026 list of the wealthiest individuals are two big names in the luxury sector: Alain and Gérard Wertheimer, the shareholders of the Chanel Group. The duo thus retains its position with a net worth of 95 billion euros. He ranks ahead of Françoise Bettencourt Meyers, L’Oréal’s largest shareholder, with her 69.7 billion. François Pinault, head of the Kering Group, is, for his part, the ninth-richest individual with 19.2 billion euros to his credit.
In total, Challenges magazine listed 153 billionaire families in France in 2026—eight more than in 2025. The combined net worth of those on the list stands at 1,076 billion euros. This figure is slightly down from last year’s 1,129 billion euros.
To arrive at this figure, the business publication uses the market value of companies’ shares and equity interests as listed on the stock exchange, or estimated values if the securities are unlisted. It should be noted that Challenges does not include the personal assets of these wealthy families, such as real estate.
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