(ANSA) – PARIS, APRIL 21 – No comments on the Elysée race but a clear stance in favor of the European Union. And Italy is a “magnificent” country: three days after the presidential ballot between Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen, the patron of the LVMH group, Bernard Arnault – the first richest man in France and the third richest man in the world – prefers do not enter into the merits of the ballot.
“I would prefer not to express myself on politics, this risks going beyond my framework of responsibility but I have a very precise opinion, which you can imagine”, he said in response to ANSA at the end of the Shareholders’ Meeting in Paris.
Asked whether he was more or less in favor of European integration, a process promoted by Macron and instead opposed by Le Pen, Arnault said he was “pro-European”. “I am for Europe, I think that Europe as such is a first world economic entity and is therefore something very important for each of its member countries”. As for Italy, in which he has invested a lot, “it is a magnificent country, extremely dynamic and to which I have enormous pleasure in going”. Present in 80 countries, LVMH controls major Made in Italy brands such as Fendi, Bulgari and Loro Piana. In 2021 it achieved record results and the first quarter of 2022 began with revenues of 18 billion, up 29%, despite the crisis linked to Covid and the war in Ukraine. Performance that we must be “proud of”, not only for the dividends, but also for the economic footprint of the group in France “, Arnault pointed out, addressing the shareholders gathered at the Carrousel du Louvre. Between direct and indirect employment, the workers who around 140,000 in France alone revolve around the French colossus LVMH represents a windfall of 5.5 billion a year for the French state. (ANSA).
Source: Ansa
I have been working in the news industry for over 10 years now and I have worked for some of the biggest news websites in the world. My focus has always been on entertainment news, but I also cover a range of other topics. I am currently an author at Global happenings and I love writing about all things pop-culture related.
