The head of state also spoke of the “deep roots” of the LVMH CEO, a native of Roubaix in the north of France, and his commitment to, among other things, the reconstruction of Notre-Dame. Several top French political figures attended the ceremony, including former President Nicolas Sarkozy, EU Commissioner Thierry Breton, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo, French Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire, French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin, and Culture Minister Rachida Dati.
The event also attracted A-listers from all over the world, including Beyoncé and Jay-Z, Elon Musk, Queen Rania of Jordan, visual artist Jeff Koons, pianist Lang Lang, and billionaires Vincent Bolloré of Bolloré Group and Rodolphe Saadé of CMA CGM. Musk, who is the third richest man on the planet according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, took the opportunity to have a one-on-one meeting with Macron on “attractiveness and investments.”
Arnault, who recently regained his title as the world’s richest man, received the honor 13 years after being promoted to grand officer by former President François Hollande, and 28 years after being knighted.