Which French luxury-goods executive topped Forbes’ 2023 World’s Billionaires list?

Bernard Arnault topped Forbes’ 2023 World’s Billionaires list.

Forbes estimated Arnault’s fortune at about $211 billion in its 2023 ranking, placing him ahead of Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos. Arnault is chairman and chief executive of LVMH, the luxury-goods group whose portfolio includes fashion, leather goods, wines, spirits, watches and jewelry brands.

His wealth is connected to his family’s ownership of LVMH shares and to the company’s market value. The ranking was based on stock prices and exchange rates from 10 March 2023, so changes in luxury-sector shares could alter the order quickly.

Arnault became the first European to lead Forbes’ annual billionaire list since Carlos Slim held the top position in the early 2010s. He also topped Forbes’ 2024 list, although the estimated value of his fortune changed.