Bernard Arnault assembled, piece by piece, the greatest luxury group in history: fashion, leather goods, jewelry, wines and spirits, hospitality. LVMH single-handedly embodies the global reach of French savoir-faire.

Europe’s largest market capitalization at its peak, the group proves the resilience of the very high end: when everything wavers, houses like Louis Vuitton and Dior keep making the world dream — and buy.