François Pinault

François Pinault is a French billionaire businessman, founder of the luxury group Kering and the investment company Artémis. Pinault started his business in the timber industry in the early 1960s. Taken public in 1988, the company invested in specialized retail business and changed its name to PPR. 

  • François Pinault is honorary chairman of luxury group Kering, which owns fashion brands Saint Laurent, Alexander McQueen and Gucci,
  • Pinault founded Kering, which started as a wood and building materials company, in 1963.
  • The Pinault family pledged $113 million to the rebuilding of Notre Dame cathedral following the April 2019 fire.
  • In 1999, Pinault changed the direction of the business towards luxury goods when he bought a controlling stake in Gucci Group.
  • The $15.3 billion (estimated sales) company, which also owns watch brand Girard-Perregaux, is run by Pinault’s son, François-Henri.
  • Pinault and his family own a 3,000-piece art collection, with works by Picasso, Mondrian and Koons. They plan to open a museum in France in 2020.

Alexander McQueen François Pinault Gucci Kering Saint Laurent