Who Is The Richest Person in the World?

Hint: It has something to do with fashion.

Who is the richest person in the world? Elon Musk? Jeff Bezos? These are some names that are likely to come to mind. However, they are not quite as rich as the Parisian behind the largest luxury conglomerate in the world.

Bernard Arnault, the CEO and chairman of LVMH, currently holds the title for the richest person in the world. As of April 2023, he has a net worth of nearly $226 billion. The source? LVMH: Moët Hennessy – Louis Vuitton SE, the largest luxury company in the world comprising dozens of notable brands, including Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior, Fendi, Tiffany & Co., and more. 

Elon Musk is runner up for the title. He was the richest person in the world for most of last year, up until December 2022. As of April 2023, he has a net worth of over $202 billion.

I found it interesting to note that nine of the top ten richest people are men. So, who is the richest woman in the world? Hint: like the richest man in the world, she is also a Parisian. 

The richest woman in the world is Francoise Bettencourt Meyers, chairman of L’Oreal. She is the granddaughter of the founder of the global cosmetics brand. 

Along with a recent shift in the world’s richest, we are about to see a shift in leadership in the global fashion industry. Four out of five of Arnault’s children play a role within LVMH. Delphine Arnault, the oldest of Bernard Arnault’s five children and previous director and executive vice president of Louis Vuitton, became the head at Christian Dior in January 2023. It will be interesting to see how Dior and the other brands comprising LVMH will evolve.