French Billionaire Bernard Arnault On Track To Become The World’s Richest Person

Tiffany & Co’s new owner, Bernard Arnault has overtaken Bill Gates to be named the world’s second-wealthiest man, according to Forbes’ Real-Time Billionaire Rankings. It was revealed that French luxury group LVMH which is owned by Bernard Arnault, agreed to purchase the iconic New York jeweler Tiffany & Co for $16.2 billion, the billionaire’s fortune is up 2.8%, or $2.85 billion.

That puts Bernard Arnault, the wealthiest man in Europe, behind only Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, whose net worth sits at $113 billion, according to the list. Gates, meanwhile, has a net worth of $107.4 billion.

Jeff Bezos could also lose his title as the richest person in the world this week after LVMH CEO Bernard Arnault signed to buy the jewelry giant Tiffany for $16 billion. LVMH already owns 75 brands including Christian Dior, Fendi, and Givenchy as well as watchmaker Tag Heuer.

The French business magnate’s net worth is over $107.5 billion, while Bezos is still on top with a net worth of about $113 billion. As of today, these are the top 20 richest people in the world:

1. Jeff Bezos: $113 billion
2. Bernard Arnault: $107.5 billion
3. Bill Gates: $107.4 billion
4. Warren Buffett: $86.9 billion
5. Mark Zuckerberg: $74.9 billion
6. Larry Ellison: $69.2 billion
7. Amancio Ortega: $69.2 billion
8. Carlos Slim Helu: $60.9 billion
9. Mukesh Ambani: $60.7 billion
10. Larry Page: $59.6 billion
11. Sergey Brin: $57.5 billion
12. Francoise Bettencourt Meyers: $55.7 billion
13. Steve Ballmer: $55.6 billion
14. Michael Bloomberg: $54.7 billion
15. Jim Walton: $53.1 billion
16. Alice Walton: $52.8 billion
17. Rob Walton: $52.8 billion
18. Charles Koch: $42.8 billion
19. Julia Koch & family: $42.8 billion
20. Jack Ma: $41.4 billion

Bernard Arnault, Jeff Bezos, and Bill Gates are all comfortably ahead of other mega-billionaires as well. Warren Buffett is worth $86.9 billion while Mark Zuckerberg has a net worth of about $74.9 billion.

Larry Ellison and Spanish retail magnate Amancio Ortega are each worth just under $69.2 billion.

The 70-year-old founder and chairman of French luxury giant LVMH – is currently the richest person in Europe and the second richest in the world with a total net worth of $107.5 billion. He will likely surpass Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates to become the world’s richest person.

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