The Taste of Luxury: Bernard Arnault and the Moet-Hennessy Louis Vuitton Story

What grabbed me most in The Taste of Luxury were the raw, human moments hidden inside the corporate chess game. In just 48 hours, Arnault raided LVMH, snapping up nearly a million shares and shaking the empire to its core. The courts said it was legal, but everyone knew the man who brought him in—Henry Racamier—was being ruthlessly pushed aside. The book shines in the details: Racamier waiting backstage as Dior’s show stalled over his absence, police waking the 77‑year‑old chairman with a search warrant, and even his quiet dignity as rumors spread about him. Arnault, meanwhile, pressed forward with financing tricks and iron‑willed ambition until Racamier finally resigned alongside his closest allies. What struck me most was the stark contrast: Racamier, who built Vuitton into power and whose workers were the best paid in France, versus Arnault, a hard‑driving financier who could bulldoze his way into fashion’s elite. Yet behind the cold moves were flashes of the personal—Arnault marrying in secret, wearing a wedding ring for the first time, even refusing his daughter a Dior dress to keep her grounded. These moments I highlighted are what made the book for me: it’s not just about luxury goods, but about ambition, betrayal, and the price of empire.

MY RATING SYSTEM: * - if you have to chose between torture and reading this book, then you might want to consider reading the book - although it depends on just how severe the torture would be. ** - if you've lost your job and have quite a bit of free time on your hands, and don't have anything else better to do, then you might want to consider reading this book; don't expect to learn much or really be entertained. It will however, help you pass the time until your death. *** - meh...I'm indifferent. Reading this book will not alter your life in any significant way, yet it is not so horrendously dreadful that your taking the time to read it will be a complete waste of time. **** - Good book to great book zone here. You should probably read this book if you have some spare time. This book could be interesting, entertaining, or informative. ***** - Outstanding book! Make time to read this book - you'll learn or be entertained or intrigued. The book might even be good enough to provide original or helpful insights into the world that we live in. REVIEW: The book provides an account of Bernard Arnault and his rise to the top of the luxury goods industry. The story is interesting, however the book is written in very casual English, with sentence fragments and rhetorical questions appearing quite often. The book begins with background about Bernard Arnault, painting him as a dedicated student as a child. As Arnault grows up, his involvment in his family's business and eventual entry into the luxury goods arena via his acquisition of Dior are recounted, providing glimpses of his talents as a financier. The story then breaks into an account of the development of the LVMH group and the histories of its component companies. As the story progresses, the authors do an effective job of providing insights into the personalities involved in the battle for power at the world's leading luxury goods company. At times however, the poor quality of writing in the book can be a detraction.

If you like barbarians at the gate, you should also enjoy this book as well.

This book reads a lot like a really long magazine article in that it provides enough detail for you to understand the jist of the action that is happening and keeps the story flowing along at a brisk pace. This book should provide you with a quick primer on the creation of the largest luxury goods firm in the world LVMH and the rise of its owner Bernard Arnault. If you are iinterested in business and business deals I think this book will wet your whistle. I gave it 3 stars because I was hoping to see more in-depth development of Bernard Arnault but overall I would recommend this book.