François Pinault Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids François Pinault
Pinault in 2015
Born	(1936-08-21) 21 August 1936 (age 89) Les Champs-Géraux, France
Occupation	Businessman Art collector
Known for	co-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 very successful French businessman. He helped start two big companies: Kering, which owns many luxury fashion brands, and Artémis, an investment company.

Mr. Pinault began his career in the timber (wood) business in the 1960s. His company grew and became public in 1988, meaning its shares could be bought and sold on the stock market. Later, his company, then called Pinault-Printemps-Redoute (PPR), started focusing on luxury and fashion brands. In 2003, he passed the leadership of his companies to his oldest son, François-Henri, so he could spend more time on his passion for collecting modern art.

Early Life
Business Career
- Groupe Artémis
- Focus on Luxury
Art Collection
- Art Museums in Venice
- Art Museum in Paris
Other Important Work
- Environment
- Historical Buildings
Wealth
Awards
Personal Life
Images for kids
See also

Early Life

François Pinault was born on August 21, 1936, in a small town called Les Champs-Géraux in Brittany, France. His father worked in the wood business.

Pinault grew up in the countryside and started working for his family's wood company. He left school at age 16. In 1956, he joined the military during the Algerian war. After his military service, he returned to the family business. He later sold the business after his father passed away.

Business Career

François Pinault started his first wood-trading company in 1963. This company, called Pinault SA, grew quickly. It bought other companies that were having financial trouble and helped them become successful again.

In 1988, Pinault SA became a public company on the Paris stock exchange. This allowed it to invest in many different types of stores. He bought large parts of companies like CFAO (distribution in Africa), Conforama (furniture), Printemps (department store), La Redoute (mail order), and Fnac (books and electronics). In 1993, Pinault SA changed its name to Pinault-Printemps-Redoute (PPR).

Groupe Artémis

In 1992, Mr. Pinault started Groupe Artémis to manage his family's investments. This company, fully owned by the Pinault family, has invested in many interesting areas. It owns famous vineyards like Château Latour and Clos de Tart. Artémis also bought the news magazine Le Point in 1997, the famous auction house Christie's in 1998, and the luxury cruise company Ponant in 2015. Since 1998, Mr. Pinault has also owned the Rennes football club. In September 2023, Artémis bought a big part of Creative Artists Agency, a major company in the entertainment industry.

François Pinault and his son François-Henri in 2016.

Focus on Luxury

By the late 1990s, François Pinault began to change his business focus from general retail to luxury goods. In March 1999, his company PPR bought a large part of the Gucci Group and also the Yves Saint Laurent company. He then bought other luxury brands like the jewelry company Boucheron in 2000, Balenciaga in 2001, and the British fashion house Alexander McQueen.

In May 2003, he handed over the leadership of his companies to his son, François-Henri. His son continued to grow the luxury group by adding new brands like Brioni and Girard-Perregaux. In 2013, the group's name was changed to Kering.

Art Collection

François Pinault is a very important art collector. He bought his first major painting in 1980. He started by collecting art from the 20th century by artists like Mondrian and Picasso. Later, he began collecting works by modern artists such as Damien Hirst and Jeff Koons. As of 2023, his art collection has about 10,000 pieces!

Art Museums in Venice

In 2005, François Pinault bought the company that ran the Palazzo Grassi in Venice, Italy. A famous Japanese architect named Tadao Ando helped renovate this historic building. The first exhibition of the Pinault Collection opened there in 2006.

A year later, the city of Venice allowed Pinault Collection to use the Punta della Dogana, another historic building that had been empty for 30 years. This added a lot more space for art in Venice. Tadao Ando also restored this site, and it opened to the public in June 2009. In 2013, Pinault completed his third art project in Venice by renovating the Teatrino, an old open-air theater. This new Teatrino, also designed by Tadao Ando, is now an auditorium with 225 seats.

Art Museum in Paris

In 2016, Pinault and the city of Paris announced plans to create a new modern art museum in the Bourse de commerce, a historic building in the center of Paris. Tadao Ando was again in charge of transforming the building. The museum officially opened in May 2021.

In 2014, the Pinault Collection started a program in Lens, France, where artists can live and work. This program opened in 2015. In 2015, to honor his friend Pierre Daix, a writer, Pinault created the Pierre Daix Prize. This award is given every year to an excellent book about modern and contemporary art.

Other Important Work

Environment

François Pinault has also supported environmental causes. In 1990, after a fire in the Paimpont forest in Brittany, he immediately helped pay for the trees to be replanted. In 2000, he gave a lot of money to help the islands in Brittany after an oil spill from the ship Erika. In 2022, he promised 500,000 euros to help restore the Saint-Michel chapel in Brasparts and the hill it stands on, after a fire damaged them.

Historical Buildings

Mr. Pinault has helped preserve many historical buildings. In 2000, he bought the Théâtre Marigny in Paris, which was fully renovated between 2013 and 2018. In 2012, he bought the Villa Greystones in Dinard, France, a special building designed by Michel Roux-Spitz. In 2018, Pinault made a big contribution to restore Victor Hugo's house, the Hauteville House, in Guernsey.

After the terrible Notre Dame de Paris fire on April 15, 2019, the Pinault family promised 100 million euros to help rebuild and repair the famous cathedral.

In 2021, he bought a grand private mansion called Hôtel de Cavoye in Paris. He also owns other historic properties in France, including the château de la Mormaire and the Hôtel de Clermont-Tonnerre. In 2022, he promised to help pay for the restoration of the Chapelle Saint-Michel on top of the Monts d'Arrée after it was damaged by a wildfire.

Wealth

As of September 2023, the Bloomberg Billionaires Index estimated François Pinault's wealth to be about US$39.1 billion. This made him the 32nd richest person in the world at that time.

In 2024, Forbes magazine estimated his net worth at $31.6 billion, ranking him as the 54th richest person 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. They divorced five years later. In 1970, Pinault married Maryvonne Campbell, who was an antique dealer. She introduced him to the world of art, and he started buying art around that time.

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