"He politicises his stance": X, a turning point in Bernard Arnault's communication
"Thank you." With that single word Bernard Arnault made his debut on X, formerly Twitter, on Monday 27 July, as he launched his personal account. It was a way of addressing his supporters directly and...
"Thank you." With that single word Bernard Arnault made his debut on X, formerly Twitter, on Monday 27 July, as he launched his personal account. It was a way of addressing his supporters directly and personally after his stand-off with journalists from Le Monde.
A surprise move from the usually discreet 77-year-old boss of LVMH, who tends to keep out of public debate.
The previous day, it was already on X, but via LVMH's official account, that Bernard Arnault had published his right of reply. Le Monde had just unveiled the final part of its investigation into France's richest man. In a series of six articles (source in French), Raphaëlle Bacqué and Vanessa Schneider retrace how the Arnault empire was built, describe the tensions said to be running through his companies and his family today, and refer to a phenomenon of "court" around Bernard Arnault.
"I hadn't been treated like this since the takeover of Boussac in 1984. Back then they called me 'The Terminator'. I prefer 'the last royal family': it's more elegant, and it's better for sales at Dior", he writes at the start of his open letter, laced with sarcasm.
He describes the journalistic work as a "serial", condemning what he sees as melodrama, a taste for the "novelistic" and a transparency that is "punished". "Apparently, in the Arnault family we don't talk things through, we plot [...] What in an ordinary family is called a Sunday is called an intrigue in ours."
"He no longer wants to be the object of fantasies"
For Ariane Ahmadi, a communications expert and president of Kerman consulting, the articles in Le Monde were, for Bernard Arnault, "the last straw".
The head of LVMH, the world's leading luxury group, has therefore decided to put his foot down. "I think this is the start of a public and political communication strategy. He wanted to say that he will not let himself be pushed around and that he is opening his own information channel so that he can communicate in his own way."
This is exactly what Elon Musk highlighted in his welcome message (source in French) to Bernard Arnault. "The best way to communicate with the world is to address the public directly in your own words, rather than going through the distorting mirror, a real nightmare when it comes to bending reality, that is the traditional media", wrote the owner of Tesla and SpaceX, who welcomed this high-profile new arrival on his social network.
Bernard Arnault is thus taking the opposite line to the traditional media. "He no longer wants to be the object of fantasies against which he never defends himself. Because the game with great fortunes is that you do not own your image in the court of public opinion. You are constantly the object of fantasies. That is part of the game", continues Ariane Ahmadi. This arrival on X is therefore also "a way of taking back power, of regaining control of the narrative".
The expert also points to the irony used by the billionaire, as in the closing line of his letter: "I will continue to do Le Monde's crossword puzzles, which, for their part, are excellent". "Humour and irony are what allow you to undermine your opponent", she notes.
What political impact?
Bernard Arnault therefore intends to occupy space in the public arena. "He is taking big business out of the realm of collective imagination and popular fantasy and turning it into something more political. He is putting himself in a position where he is not simply a company boss, but also a businessman whose opinion may be of interest", says Ariane Ahmadi, who notes that the billionaire is "almost positioning himself as a national asset".
"I contributed 200 million euros towards the reconstruction of Notre-Dame. I gave Paris and France the Fondation Louis Vuitton. [...] I have given, and that seems suspicious", he writes in his letter. Bernard Arnault is thus embracing a narrative according to which France stands in the way of those who succeed, the communications specialist observes.
"What he shows in his response is that he helps France and is part of its national story. And, overall, that he pays enough tax", notes the president of Kerman consulting. "He is politicising his stance because he is politicised, in spite of himself."
Is he even hoping to play a role in the next presidential election? Perhaps. "In this context, he will give his views; he is bound to become more political. But I am not sure he will give his opinion on a particular candidate. He will focus on issues rather than on individuals", predicts Ariane Ahmadi.
That is in any case what seems to be desired by Vincent Bolloré, another leading figure in France's big-business establishment, who has been active on X since October 2025. "I welcome the arrival of Bernard Arnault. Everyone knows about his exceptional success, which contributes enormously to our country. At a time when France, through disastrous management, is sinking into serious difficulties, his views will be invaluable", he wrote in welcoming the head of LVMH.
His first steps on X already seem to have found an audience: in just over 48 hours, Bernard Arnault has almost 108,000 followers, nearly four times as many as the Breton industrialist. A good start for the newcomer.
