The Hermès heirs: In the inside, 2025 benefited from the strong stock market development of the luxury group. They took over the top position in the annual ranking of assets from business activities in France. This was published by Magazin Challenges last week. In doing so, they displaced Bernard Arnault and his family from first place.
Since the beginning of 2025 Hermès, which has better resisted the downturn in the global luxury market than French companies with the highest market capitalization. The house overtook the global company LVMH, whose main shareholder Bernard Arnault is.
The businessman, who was once the richest man in the world, has led the ranking of the French assets of Challenges since 2017. This year he has to be satisfied with second place. His professional assets are estimated at 117 billion euros; 74 billion less than in last year’s Challenges ranking. It is far behind the 163 billion euros of the numerous members of the Hermès heirs who own two thirds of the group’s shares.
The magazine counted 145 billionaire families in France this year. That is two less than 2024, but almost ten times more than in the introduction of the ranking around thirty years ago.
According to Challenges, the total assets of the 500 largest French assets amounted to 1,128 billion euros in 2025. This is a decline compared to the 1,228 billion euros in the previous year, which was a record.
Chanel brothers in third place
The challenge ranking is based on stocks and company shares. Their value is determined either by the stock exchange courses or, in the case of non -listed titles, by estimates.
Personal assets such as real estate are not taken into account.
The top five hardly changes behind Bernard Arnault. In third place, the brothers Alain and Gérard Wertheimer from Chanel (95 billion euros in assets) are found. Françoise Bettencourt Meyers from L’Oréal (74 billion euros) follows fourth. The Dassault and Rodolphe Saadé from CMA-CGM (35 billion euros) are almost on par.
This is followed by Xavier Niel von Free (28 billion euros), Gérard Mulliez from Angan and Decathlon (26 billion euros), François Pinault from the Kering Group (owner of Saint Laurent and Gucci, 15 billion euros) and Emmanuel Besnier from the food giant Lactalis (14 billion euros).
This article was used with digital tools translated.
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