François Pinault Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids François Pinault
Pinault in 2015
Born	(1936-08-21) 21 August 1936 (age 88) Les Champs-Géraux, Côtes d'Armor, Brittany, France
Occupation	Businessman Art collector
Known for	Founder of Kering, Groupe Artémis and Pinault Collection
Spouse(s)	Louise Gautier (m. 1962; div. 1967) Maryvonne Campbell (m. 1970)
Children	3, including François-Henri Pinault
Relatives	Salma Hayek (daughter-in-law)

François Pinault (born August 21, 1936) is a French businessman. He is famous for starting the luxury company Kering and the investment group Artémis.

Pinault began his career in the timber business in the early 1960s. His company grew and later invested in many different stores. It eventually became known as Pinault-Printemps-Redoute (PPR). By the late 1990s, PPR focused more on luxury and fashion brands. In 2003, he let his son, François-Henri, take over the companies. This allowed François Pinault to focus on his love for modern art. In 2024, he was ranked among the richest people in the world by Forbes magazine.

Early Life
Business Career
Art Collection
Other Important Work
- Helping the Environment
- Restoring Historical Buildings
Wealth
Awards
Personal Life
Images for kids
See also

Early Life

François Pinault was born on August 21, 1936. He grew up in Les Champs-Géraux, a small town in Brittany, France. His father worked as a timber trader.

Pinault started working for his family's timber business. He left school at age 16 from the College Saint-Martin in Rennes. In 1956, he joined the military during the Algerian war. After his service, he returned to the family business. He later sold it after his father passed away.

Business Career

François Pinault started his first business in 1963. It was a company that traded wood. His company, Pinault SA, grew quickly. It bought several companies that were struggling. This helped to make them successful again. On October 25, 1988, Pinault SA became a public company. This meant its shares could be bought and sold on the Paris stock exchange.

The company then started to invest in many different types of stores. It bought parts of CFAO, which sells goods in Africa. It also acquired Conforama (a furniture store), Printemps (a department store), La Redoute (a mail-order company), and Fnac (a store for books and electronics). In 1993, Pinault SA changed its name to Pinault-Printemps-Redoute (PPR).

In 1992, Pinault created a company called Artémis. This company manages the Pinault family's investments. Artémis owns famous vineyards like Château Latour and Clos de Tart. It also bought the news magazine Le Point in 1997. In 1998, Artémis bought the famous auction house Christie's. It also owns the luxury cruise company Ponant since 2015. Pinault has owned the Rennes football club since 1998. In 2023, Artémis bought a large part of Creative Artists Agency, a big talent agency.

François Pinault and his son François-Henri in 2016.

By the late 1990s, François Pinault began to focus his business on luxury goods. In March 1999, Pinault-Printemps-Redoute bought a large part of the Gucci Group. They also bought the Yves Saint Laurent company. Pinault then bought the French jewelry company Boucheron in 2000. He also acquired Balenciaga in 2001 and the British fashion house Alexander McQueen.

In May 2003, he passed the management of his companies to his son, François-Henri. His son continued to grow the luxury group. They added new brands like Brioni and Girard-Perregaux. In 2013, the group's name was changed to Kering.

Art Collection

François Pinault bought his first important painting in 1980. It was called Cour de ferme by Paul Sérusier. He collected art from the 20th century, including works by Mondrian and Picasso. He also collected art from many modern artists like Damien Hirst and Jeff Koons. By 2023, his art collection had about 10,000 pieces.

In 2005, François Pinault bought the company that ran the Palazzo Grassi in Venice, Italy. A Japanese architect named Tadao Ando renovated the old building. It opened in 2006 with the first exhibition of the Pinault Collection. A year later, the city of Venice gave Pinault Collection the chance to restore the Punta della Dogana. This was an old building that had been empty for 30 years. Tadao Ando also restored this site, and it opened in June 2009. In 2013, Pinault completed another project in Venice. He renovated and changed the Teatrino, an old open-air theater. It was also designed by Tadao Ando and now has a 225-seat auditorium.

In 2016, Pinault and the city of Paris announced a plan. They would turn the Bourse de commerce in the center of Paris into a new modern art museum. It would be part of the Pinault Collection. Tadao Ando was in charge of changing this historic building. The museum opened in May 2021. In 2014, François Pinault started an artist residency program. It is in Lens, France, and opened in 2015. In 2015, he created the Pierre Daix Prize. This prize is given each year for an excellent book about modern and contemporary art. He named it after his friend, the writer Pierre Daix.

Other Important Work

Helping the Environment

In 1990, a fire damaged the Paimpont forest in Brittany. Pinault immediately helped pay for the trees to be replanted. In 2000, he gave a lot of money to help the islands in Brittany. They were affected by an oil spill after the ship Erika sank. In 2022, he promised to give 500,000 euros. This money will help restore the Saint-Michel chapel in Brasparts. It was damaged by a fire.

Restoring Historical Buildings

In 2000, Pinault bought the Théâtre Marigny, a theater in Paris. It was fully renovated between 2013 and 2018. In 2012, he bought the Villa Greystones in Dinard, France. This villa was designed by Michel Roux-Spitz. In 2018, Pinault gave a lot of money to help restore Victor Hugo's house. This house, called the Hauteville House, is in Guernsey.

After the Notre Dame de Paris fire on April 15, 2019, the Pinault family promised 100 million euros. This donation was for the rebuilding and repairs of the famous cathedral.

In 2021, he bought a grand private mansion in Paris called Hôtel de Cavoye. He also owns the château de la Mormaire and other historic buildings in Paris. In 2022, he promised to help pay for the restoration of the Chapelle Saint-Michel. This chapel was damaged by a wildfire. He also bought the villa Bel-Esbat in Dinard.

Wealth

In September 2023, the Bloomberg Billionaires Index estimated Pinault's wealth. He was among the richest people in the world. In 2024, Forbes magazine also ranked him as one of the wealthiest people globally.

Awards

1958: Military Value Cross
2006: Breton of the Year by Armor Magazine
2006, 2007: Most influential personality in the art world by ArtReview
2011: Grand officier de la Légion d'honneur (a high French honor)
2016: Grand Officer of the Ordine della Stella d'Italia (an Italian honor)
2017: Grand Croix de la Légion d'honneur (an even higher French honor)

Personal Life

In 1962, François Pinault married Louise Gautier. They had three children: François-Henri, Dominique, and Laurence Pinault. In 1970, Pinault married Maryvonne Campbell. She was an antique dealer who helped him discover his love for art. His first art purchases were made around this time.

He is the father-in-law of the famous actress and producer Salma Hayek. She is married to his son, François-Henri.