Bernard Arnault (LVMH)
b. France, 1949
Began working with a family business in utilities, then moved to the luxury sector buying several companies to form LVMH by 1987.
He now personally owns almost half of LVMH, the largest luxury group in the world
He is France's richest person with an estimated net worth of $26 billion
He is a recipient of the French Legion of Honor
b. US, 1957
Attended Cornell then Columbia for an MBA
Began in biotech with his father then purchased the legendary Chateau Marmont in 1990 and restored it with luxury details and service. He is now known as the top entrepreneur in luxury boutique hotels. Unlike the other famous luxury hotels like the Ritz Carlton or the Four Seasons, the Balazs properties mainly have unique names honoring their historic origins.
b. Germany, 1881-1960
Wildorff was German but worked with Swiss watches because he thought they were the best in craftsmanship
In 1908 he founded Rolex, making the name up in an effort to create a global name that could be pronounced in any language
He was an excellent watchman and businessman, pushing his watches to lead in quality of time keeping and waterproofing
Rolex is now the largest single luxury watch brand in the world, making 2000 a day
Before his death, Hans Wildorf established a foundation in which he left all of his Rolex shares, making sure that some of the company's income would go to charity
http://www.davelandweb.com/chateaumarmont/
